


One Last Goodbye

by CaptnSlash



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, But there are reasons, Emotional Hurt, M/M, Magical Stiles Stilinski, Mpreg, One Night Stand, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Out of Character, Post-Nogitsune Stiles Stilinski, Sheriff Stilinski's Name is John, Stiles Has Nightmares, Stiles Stilinski Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Stiles blames himself, Takes Place After 3B, The Pack Being Idiots, The Pack is Eventually Pretty Cool, They Accidentally Made A Baby
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-19
Updated: 2018-09-15
Packaged: 2019-06-12 22:23:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 34,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15350043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptnSlash/pseuds/CaptnSlash
Summary: Stiles feels isolated and alone after what he went through during his possession by the Nogitsune. Allison and Aiden are dead and he thinks the pack blames him almost as much as he blames himself. He also blames himself for taking advantage of Isaac on the night before he left for France with Chris Argent. He's barely eating, dealing with nightmares that prevent him from getting a good night's sleep, and he feels lost.He didn't intend to use his spark to create a magical baby with Isaac Lahey, but he somehow managed to do the impossible. He has a lot of decisions to make and he finds support from an unlikely ally. Eventual Stisaac.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I became a little curious about the idea of Stiles and Isaac co-parenting and this story kind of spun off of that. The premise is that they hooked up the night before Isaac left to go to France. I'm not usually a fan of Mpreg, so I'm pushing myself out of my comfort zone for this fic. Please be patient with me.
> 
> The title comes from "[Last Goodbye](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-Sc1Y4Mj3Y)" by The Calling.

Stiles’ dreams are always the same. They repeat continuously on a loop like it’s all been orchestrated by some kind of curse and the only escape comes when he wakes up screaming. He doesn’t sleep much anymore.

During most of the dreams, he sees the horrible things the nogitsune made him do. He sees the faces of all the people he killed. He hears the victim’s cries and screams, the heart-wrenching pleas for mercy or salvation, before they are slaughtered by the oni or some other method the demon had at its disposal. He usually sees Allison a few minutes in, but linear time doesn’t exist in dreams and there’s no way to know for sure how soon it is before she shows up. The thing is that she always does.

His eyes always seem drawn to the sword that gets shoved into her and he’s forced to witness the looks of surprise and fear on her face as she realizes that she’s not going to survive. He watches her collapse into Scott’s arms and feels her life slipping away. Worst of all, he’s always powerless to keep it from happening. 

He tried a lot at first. Now he doesn’t even bother trying.

The dream comes every night without reprieve, sometimes even more than once, and that’s why he’s taken to sleeping as little as possible, but he can only put them off for so long. The nightmares are his cross to bear. They’re his guilt eating away at him little by little and he knows that he deserves so much worse. He should be dead along with them, he thinks, and he’s still not sure why he isn’t.

He wakes after thrashing and banging his head on the wall next to his bed. He’s thankful that his father is at work again and he’s glad that no one has seen him like this. His father has been working a lot of late nights recently and Stiles can’t blame him for needing the excuse to be away from home as his son deteriorates little by little.

He sits on his bed, knees pressed to his chest and his chin resting on them, and his entire body shivers from the cold air slipping in through the window that’s barely been left open. The fact that he’s alone is very telling. His friends tried to help him for a while, but they got caught up in their own lives and their own feelings of mourning for Allison and Aiden. They never know what to say to him and the feeling is mutual. He fills the silence with nonsense the majority of the time, stories he’s heard from other students and random facts that no one cares about. 

They know what he’s doing and they accept it. None of them know how to fix things because what happened can’t be undone. There’s no going back to normal after everything they’ve been through.

His distractions keep them from worrying too much because technically he’s still with them and he’s still communicating even though it isn’t about anything real. It’s a trick, yet his friends seem content to accept him as he is because it’s better than being faced with someone else that they lost. 

His thoughts drift to Isaac as they often do now that the werewolf has fled America for greener pastures. He doesn’t think he’ll ever forget the look that Isaac had on his face right before he leapt out of the window. Isaac had come to tell him that he didn’t blame him, not really, because he knew that Stiles wasn’t the one that actually hurt Allison. Stiles didn’t need to be a werewolf to sense that Isaac still blamed him on some level and he didn’t mind taking the blame when it was so well deserved. 

Stiles doesn’t even remember how things progressed so quickly that night.

They were crying one minute, both of them saying whatever it was that needed to be said, and in the next they were tearing each other’s clothes off and trying to make themselves feel something, anything, to counteract the numbness that had taken root in the week since her death.

It wasn’t as good as it should have been and it certainly was not the happy event that his loss of virginity should have been. There was no romance or foreplay and it was painful for the both of them on so many levels that it felt like the whole encounter was just another chapter in a very bad and pathetic story. Stiles knew it didn’t mean what he wanted it to mean and he couldn’t even be angry at anyone over the fact that it deserved no celebration or fanfare. It was their dirty little secret, something neither party would ever speak of, and it would also forever taint the beginnings of the friendship that they had started to develop. 

Stiles had always liked Isaac a little more than he let on, but their hookup certainly didn’t bode well for a positive relationship at some point in the not-too-distant future. Of course, Stiles also knew that Isaac really didn’t give a damn about him. He only made an effort because they were both Scott’s friends and finding common ground meant a happier Scott that they could share if they tried hard enough. Stiles recognized that he had been a warm body in the right place and time. His only option was to accept what had happened and attempt to move on.

They hadn’t kissed because it felt too intimate. Their bodies had been pressed together for an infinitesimal amount of time in the grand scheme of things, and then it was over. Isaac had started getting dressed within seconds and neither of them spoke. The beta approached the window, paused long enough to look back, and then he made his exit. 

Stiles kept his window open about an inch ever since that night. Part of him hoped that Isaac would come back, but that possibility seemed more remote as time continued to pass. He hated himself even more for not being enough to make Isaac stay and those seeds of doubt fit in well with the many others that had already been planted over the last few years.

After a while, it became obvious to Stiles that escaping Allison’s death wasn’t the only reason that Isaac left town with Chris Argent. Stiles felt that Isaac was fleeing him because the werwolf probably wanted nothing more than to inflict large amounts of pain upon him as retribution for his crimes. 

Of course, Stiles doesn’t need someone else to inflict the kind of pain that he deserves. He started doing it himself in order to make amends, to punish himself for the darkness inside that the nogitsune had been drawn to, and for not being brave enough to kill himself before his first victim had lost their life.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles passes out at Deaton's animal clinic and the former emissary has some important news to give him once he wakes up.

Scott’s seventeenth birthday was coming up. 

Stiles made an excuse to avoid the birthday party because he knew that Scott and Melissa didn’t really want him coming over since his presence would just make the other guests uncomfortable. He decided to drop off Scott’s gift and birthday card a few days early and it was just easier to give it to Deaton and ask the veterinarian to pass it on. Stiles didn’t trust the loser neighbors to not steal the gift off of the McCall’s porch and he knew that Deaton wouldn’t hound him with questions about how he’s been doing and what he’s been doing to keep himself occupied.

The thing was that Stiles still cared about Scott. He cared about all of his friends and he desperately missed their asinine conversations at the lunch table and the fond glances that they would give each other between classes.

Deaton finishes escorting a patient toward the door. Her yapping dog is confined to a pet carrier and it keeps barking even after it’s been loaded into the owner’s vehicle. Stiles is glad that the clinic has become quiet and he stands up from the chair he’s been waiting in. 

Deaton’s eyes scan him and he refrains from commenting on Stiles’ disheveled appearance. “What can I do for you?”

Stiles lifts the gift and card onto the counter. “Would you mind passing these on to Scott for me? I’m probably not gonna see him before his birthday and I want to make sure he gets them.”

Deaton eyes the wrapped box suspiciously for a moment before he walks over to it. “I’d be happy to. How are you?”

Stiles shrugs. He was already starting to back up toward the door when a wave of nausea came on strong. He knows it’s probably from not eating. It’s been happening more and more lately even when he does eat so he’s pretty sure it’s just a virus since there’s also been some accompanying headache and fatigue.

He decides that his best option is to ignore the question and get out of there as soon as possible. “I’ve got to go. Thanks.”

Stiles isn’t quick enough to make it outside, so he reaches for a nearby trash can and falls to his knees. He empties the contents of his stomach into the trash can until there’s nothing left. He wipes the back of his hand over his mouth and takes a second to recover. “Sorry about that. I’ll bring it out back and wash it with the hose.”

Stiles’ whole body goes weak before he has a chance to move and there’s a loud ringing in his ears that keeps him from noticing that Deaton is calling out his name. He feels his head connect with the tile floor and his vision starts to tunnel into darkness.

  


* * *

  


Stiles comes to and he’s so discombobulated that he thinks he’s in the hospital. Someone is taking his blood pressure and there’s a heart rate monitor beeping loudly behind his head. It takes a few seconds for him to recognize the interior of one of the clinic exam rooms. He tries to sit up, but a hand to his shoulder and keeps him still as he removes the wires connecting him to the machine. It chimes loudly before the guy connected to the hand is able to walk over to the monitor and turn it off. The blood pressure cuff is removed next and Deaton moves back into his field of vision.

“Welcome back, Stiles.”

“What happened?”

Deaton pulls a chair over so that he can sit next to the exam table. “You vomited after you dropped off a card and a gift for Scott’s upcoming birthday. You also passed out.”

Stiles groans. He doesn’t deserve to have someone taking care of him like this. “Thanks, but I should go.”

Deaton shakes his head. “No, you’re not leaving just yet. There are some things we need to discuss.”

Stiles sits up and manages to keep from falling over. He most definitely doesn’t like the tone that Deaton is using and his mind swims with worry as he struggles to figure out a way to flee before the hard questions start coming. “I just need to get home.”

“Stiles, it’s clear to me that you’re not taking care of yourself. The bags under your eyes tell me that you’re not getting enough sleep. Are you still having nightmares?”  
Stiles stays quiet, but he nods his head.

Deaton pauses for a moment before continuing. “You’ve lost weight which tells me you haven’t been eating. Scott has mentioned that you’ve been isolating yourself and that you seem like a zombie at school.”

He feels bad that Scott has noticed the changes in his behavior. He feels bad for worrying his best friend, but he doesn’t know how to fix any of it. 

“I probably just have a virus. I’ll get some rest and be back to my usual obnoxious self in a few days.”

The veterinarian folds his hands in his lap and dismisses Stiles’ attempt to explain away the warning signs that he’s noticed. Stiles knows that Deaton isn’t going to fall for his usual misdirections and the veterinarian isn’t about to pretend that everything is perfectly fine when there is clear evidence to the contrary. “You don’t have a virus. I was concerned for your well-being and I performed a quick exam. You have numerous cuts on your arms and thighs. Some of them were deep enough that I had to put in a few stitches so that they would heal properly. I suspect that these have all been self-inflicted.”

Stiles shrugs his shoulders. “So what? What’s wrong with using a little pain to make it through the day? I’ve killed a lot of people lately…”

Deaton’s expression is as unreadable as usual, but Stiles can still recognize the man’s surprise at how he just admitted to the self-harm. He was too tired to try to deny something that the man already knew as fact.

“You didn’t kill anyone, Stiles. The nogitsune took control of your body and made you do unimaginable things, but you’re not the one that was responsible. Now, you need to be completely honest with me. Have you had sex within the last few months?”

Stiles looks up at him and meets his eyes. “What the hell? Why would that be any of your business?”

Deaton doesn’t look away and there’s a kindness in the man’s eyes that Stiles has never seen before. “I’m asking because I need to know the answer. It isn’t my place to judge you, Stiles. I only want to help.”

Stiles looks away and inhales a couple of slow breaths. He’s set on denying it, on not mentioning it to anyone and letting the secret stay buried inside. There’s no reason for anyone to find out and yet there’s this guilt inside of him that makes him feel like he has to confess all of his sins. He took advantage of Isaac, he knows that now, and he thinks Deaton will understand the cutting if he knows just how fucked up he is. “You can’t tell anyone. Especially not Scott or my dad, okay?”

Deaton nods. “Of course.”

“It was almost two months ago. Isaac came over the night before he left town with Chris Argent. We were both upset about Allison and one thing kind of led to another. We didn’t intend for it to happen and I used him to feel better for a few minutes. It’s not like it meant anything to him.”

Deaton lets Stiles’ revelation sink in. “Forgive me for asking my next question, but it’s important than I get a truthful answer. Did you use a condom?”

Stiles meets his eyes. “No. Isaac was the one that…I didn’t make him wear a condom. Did I get some kind of rare werewolf STD?”

“Stiles, this is going to be difficult for you to hear, but I want you to know that you’re not alone. I’m not qualified to handle human patients, so I’ve reached out to my sister and she’s agreed to meet with you whenever you’re ready.”

Stiles remembers the counseling that Ms. Morrell gave him both at the high school and while he was in the town’s only psychiatric hospital. “Is she going to take me back to Eichen House? Is she going to threaten to shoot me up with poison again? Hell, she should have done it the second she saw me. All those people would still be alive if she’d gone through with it.”

The veterinarian folds his arms in front of his chest. “I’m sorry that she threatened you like that. The two of us have had differing philosophies since we were children, but she isn’t nefarious or intent on harming people without cause. Stiles, you clearly have some mental health issues that I feel that you should start getting help for, but that’s not the only reason I’ve suggested you seek my sister’s help. She’s also a qualified midwife.”

Stiles frowns. “Why the hell would I need a midwife?”

Deaton clicks his tongue before turning around and pulling a couple of printed sonograms off of the counter. He hands them to Stiles and watches as the teenager’s eyes widen. “These are sonograms,” Stiles realizes. “Who’s baby is this?”

“It’s your baby, Stiles. Yours and Isaac Lahey’s.”

Stiles jumps off of the table and he runs toward the door, but Deaton grabs his arm and keeps him from escaping. “There’s more for us to discuss, Stiles.”

“This is a sick fucking joke! What the hell is wrong with you?”

The veterinarian leads Stiles back to the exam table. “Sties, you were passed out for nearly an hour. I had time to perform a sonogram once I noticed the tightness in your abdomen during my exam. I know this must come as quite a shock. I’ve never heard of this being possible and I have no way to understand it myself, but this is the situation you’re currently facing. You are pregnant and you’ve got to start taking care of yourself.”

Stiles looks down at the sonogram photos in his hand. A dark thought worms its way into his head, but he’s used to that by now. “What if I don’t want to keep it?”

Deaton puts a hand on his shoulder. “That’s your decision, Stiles, and I will support you in any way I can. Marin will be able to advise you on all of your options. In the meantime, you need to take better care of yourself and eat nutritious meals.”

Stiles nods slowly. He can force himself to eat healthy foods until he decides what he’s going to do. “Okay. But you can’t tell anyone. I don’t want anyone to know.”

“You have my word,” Deaton promises. “She’ll be back on Tuesday and I told her that you would meet her after school. Scott has the day off so he won’t be around.”

“Thanks. Okay. I gotta go.”

Stiles runs out of the clinic despite the man’s objections. He gets into his jeep and starts it before he realizes his hand is still clutching the sonogram photos. He looks down at them for a second before he reaches over and shoves them into the glove box. He turns his head around and backs into the street. He heads home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Feel free to leave constructive feedback or suggest tags that you think I may have missed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An acquaintance discovers Stiles during a low moment and offers his assistance. It's kind of the start of a beautiful friendship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter I will be uploading today. I hope you all are really enjoying the story and that you like the idea of me bringing Danny back. I really wanted to bring back Boyd and Erica as well, but I couldn't figure out a way to make it work that I was happy with.

Stiles slips into the boy’s bathroom at school and manages to throw up his breakfast without wearing any of it by the time he’s finished. He pulls a travel sized toothbrush and tube of toothpaste out of his backpack and finishes brushing his teeth and cleaning himself up before his emotions get the better of him. He slides down the wall by the sink and lets the tears start flowing. He isn’t able to stop them even when the door to the bathroom is pushed open and Danny walks inside.

The other boy hears Stiles and stops as soon as he catches sight of Stiles having a nervous breakdown from his spot on the floor. He looks like he’s about to turn and leave when he walks over to Stiles and sits down next to him. He begins rubbing Stiles’ back and does his best to let Stiles know that he isn’t alone. The door opens again a few moments later and a couple of freshman walk inside and balk at what they see.  
“Get the fuck out,” Danny orders. They turn and leave without saying a single offensive comment.

Something about what Stiles has just witnessed causes the tears to stop. He lets out a laugh and notices the hesitant smile on Danny’s face. “You scared the crap out of them, Danny.”

“I dislike freshmen,” Danny reasons. “You okay?”

Stiles knows he’s not and he can’t bring himself to lie about it. Danny’s hand doesn’t leave his back. The room is quiet now that Stiles’ sobs have stopped echoing off of the tile walls and there’s something almost calming about the quiet. Stiles pulls out a small package of tissues from his backpack and he wipes the tears from his eyes and cheeks. 

“Stupid question, huh?” Danny asks a minute later when Stiles hasn’t responded. 

Stiles looks over at him and nods his head slowly. “Yeah. Things are pretty crazy right now.”

Danny pauses before he stands up and walks to the door. It has a deadbolt that’s been installed for security reasons in case there’s ever a potential school shooter and the teen figures it’s the perfect time to use it even though their lives aren’t in danger. He walks back to Stiles and sits in the same spot he was in before he got up. His hand returns to Stiles’ back. “Is this about what happened with Allison and Aiden? Ethan didn’t tell me much, but I know he’s a werewolf and that something really awful happened.”

Stiles is unsure how to respond. He doesn’t know if this is a test to confirm a potential theory or if Danny actually does know more than he’s ever let on. He’s too tired to pretend that Danny is wrong and he doesn’t want to have to come up with some alternative story for what happened. “Yeah, it’s about all of that stuff and so much more.”

“I’m ready to listen if you want to talk about it.”

Stiles tells him everything. He tells him about Scott getting bit by Peter and Derek becoming the alpha. He tells him about Jackson becoming a kanima and how Lydia’s love turned him back into a werewolf. He tells him about the alpha pack and how they lost Boyd and Erica, even where their bodies are buried should he be interested in paying their graves a visit. He tells Danny about the nogitsune and the horrible things it made him do. 

He goes into the never-ending nightmares and there’s a sense of relief that he feels just saying all of this out loud to someone. He knows that telling someone about all of their secrets is a huge risk, but he trusts Danny even if they’ve never really been friends.

He looks at the expression on the human’s face and Danny seems to be processing everything well enough, so Stiles continues. “I found out a few days ago that I’m pregnant. I don’t even know how it’s possible, but I’m pretty sure I made it happen with my magic. It’s all my fault as usual.”

Danny emerges from his thoughts and his hand moves to Stiles’ shoulder. “That’s insane, Stiles. I don’t know how you’re even able to come to school after the stuff you’ve been through. The things that you’re feeling are normal for people that survive traumatic experiences.”

Stiles takes a deep breath and he exhales through his nose. He sniffles a few times and then uses the tissues to clear his sinuses. Danny just looks at him fondly and Stiles is genuinely surprised that he hasn’t already made up a lame excuse to exit the bathroom and get as far away from him as possible. “Danny, I don’t know what to do. I’m supposed to go to a Druid midwife after school and I have no idea how to handle something like this.”

“Stiles, you’re one of the smartest people in this town. You can handle anything that comes your way. You’ve handled killer alphas, human sized lizards with paralytic venom, an evil druid, and a Japanese demon. You can handle a little baby.”

“You make it sound so easy.”

Danny shakes his head. “That wasn’t my intention. I was trying to point out that you’ve been through more difficult things in the past and that this shouldn’t be nearly as complicated as any of those things. Does the baby have more than one father? It kind of seems like that would be necessary even with your magic, right?”

Stiles nods. “Yeah, it just sort of happened one night. He left town the next day.”

“Does he know? Maybe you should call him and tell him?”

Stiles doesn’t know how to get in contact with Isaac. He broke down one night a few weeks after he left and tried to call him, but his cell phone had been disconnected and he just accepted that the werewolf didn’t want to hear from him. “I don’t know how to contact him. I doubt he’d want anything to do with me or this baby. Isaac was dating Allison before I killed her and I think we hooked up without either of us really wanting it to happen. It didn’t mean anything.”

“I’m sorry,” Danny says. “That’s got to be really confusing for you. What if I come with you after school. Would that help?”

Stiles looks at him. “Danny, you don’t have to do that. We aren’t friends and you’ve already been way nicer to me than I deserve.”

“We may not be friends, but Jackson would want me to help you.”

Stiles chuckles at the absurdity of Danny’s statement. “Jackson doesn’t give a damn about me.”

Danny laughs. “Then you should let me come. If it helps, just think about how pissed off he would be if he ever found out about us hanging out. Besides, you need a friend right now and I’m guessing no one knows about this.”

“I don’t know how to tell them. They’ll be able to smell the changes in my hormones and hear the heartbeat at some point over the next few weeks. Danny, I’m not sure I’m keeping it.”

Danny takes the news in stride. He doesn’t look offended or upset by the fact that Stiles is considering terminating his pregnancy. “It’s your choice, Stiles. You can trust me to keep this secret. I just want to make sure you have someone on your side while you figure this out.”

Stiles pauses for a moment before acknowledging that it would be nice to have someone go with him. “Okay. We can meet at the animal clinic after school.”

Danny raises an eyebrow. “Actually, I think it would be better if I drove you. Just in case you’re not up to driving after the appointment.”

“Okay. That’s probably a good idea.”

Danny stands up and he helps Stiles to his feet. Stiles discards his used tissues in the trash can before he washes his hands. Danny starts to leave before he turns back. “Stiles, do you want to sit with me at lunch?”

Stiles looks up at Danny’s reflection in the mirror above the sink. “Won’t your friends have a problem with me sitting at your table?”

“They can sit somewhere else if they have a problem with it. I just thought you might be more comfortable away from Scott and the others. It’s fine if you don’t want to.”

“No,” he says quickly. “I think that would be nice. Thanks.”

Danny unlocks the door and holds it open so that they can leave. They walk together until they have to go down separate hallways to get to their next class. They’re going to be late, but neither boy seems to mind that much.

Stiles doesn’t have any more nausea, but he’s starving by the time Lunch rolls around. No one has said more than a few words to him since Danny had talked to him earlier in the day and he’s thankful for the chance to sit at a different table away from everyone he’s lying to. He purchases two fruit cups to accompany his spaghetti and meatballs even though he really wants the bag of chocolate chip cookies. He ends up getting them even though he knows he doesn’t need them. He lowers the tray to the table and sits down next to Danny.

The conversations the jocks are having around the table all end abruptly and their eyes move between Stiles and Danny before they pick up again as if he isn’t committing one of the most egregious high school faux pas ever to pas. Stiles smiles at Danny and the two of them talk about the best and worst comic book movies as they eat. His eyes drift to his usual table across the cafeteria and he’s both hurt and relieved to see that his friends don’t seem to miss him. In fact, they almost seem relieved to be without him.

“You okay?”

Stiles looks down at his empty fruit cups and he nods. “I’m fine. Stop acting all concerned or I’m gonna think you care about me.”

Danny smiles and passes Stiles the unopened fruit cup on his tray. “I can think of worse people to care about,” Danny responds.

Stiles takes the fruit cup and tries to hide the fact that he’s blushing as he opens it up and digs in. He loves the feeling of the grapes as they’re crushed by his teeth. There was a time when he would have given his left arm for Danny to notice him. Now he wasn’t sure what, if anything, it meant that Danny had suddenly remembered that he was alive. ”Are you sure you want to come with me to my appointment?”

“Absolutely. Unless you’d prefer to go alone.”

“No, I’d like you to come. I’m still pretty anxious about it.”

“There’s nothing to be anxious about. Just think of it as a fact-finding mission to get all of the necessary information. You have plenty of time to make a decision.”

Stiles is thankful for the reassurance. He knows he doesn’t deserve it, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to ignore Danny’s kindness when it’s being offered to him. Their conversation circles back to superheroes that feature artificial intelligence and whether DC or Marvel has the better AI character. They firmly agree to disagree when the end of lunch rolls around. Stiles waves goodbye to Danny and heads off to his class.

He’s soon flanked by Malia and Lydia. “You were sitting with Danny at lunch,” Lydia says, a hopeful glint in her eye. “Is there anything we should know?”

Stiles plays innocent even though he knows Lydia can see right through it. “Nope. He invited me to sit with him and I accepted his invitation.”

“You smell funny,” Malia states. Her nostrils flare a few more times while she waits for him to give a reasonable explanation.

“I was surrounded by hormonal jocks for the entirety of lunch. It’s probably just from being next to them for so long. I gotta get to class.”

He ignores the frown on Lydia’s face and doesn’t even bother to look at Malia as he veers away from them and picks up the pace of his steps. He manages to ditch them in the hallway by his locker and he thanks his lucky stars that Malia seemed to accept his explanation about the change in his scent. He knows that Scott and Derek won’t be so easy to fool and the thought of them figuring it out before he’s ready to discuss it sends him into a small bit of panic. He recovers by controlling his breathing and he grabs the stuff he needs for his next class. He shares the class with Scott and he’s panicking as soon as the true alpha walks into the room, but the werewolf flashes him his usual dopey smile before he sits at his assigned seat at the front of the class.

It’s not much, but Stiles will take it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's finally time for Stiles' first appointment with Ms. Morrell. It's also time for him to make a decision about his unborn child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am in no way an expert about child-rearing or the process of pregnancy from the moment of conception until birth. I did some research to fill in the blanks, but I took some creative license since Stiles' baby isn't quite human. Please forgive any mistakes.

The rest of the day is pretty monotonous, but he survives it. He gets back a quiz that he took the week before and sees that he received a passing grade even though he’d barely put in the effort to study for it. He’s thankful that the school day is over and he meets Danny in the parking lot.

Stiles makes a joke about the fact that Danny doesn’t know how to drive stick and the gay teen is mildly amused. “My parents gave up on trying to teach me,” Danny explains.

“I’ll teach you myself once there’s no chance of me getting carsick. We’ll take your car.”

Danny unlocks the silver sedan and they get inside the warm vehicle. They roll down the windows and Danny looks at him like he’s giving Stiles one last chance to change his mind. “Let’s go,” he says gently.

“You’ll have to give me directions. I’ve never been there before.”

Stiles manages to direct them there while he talks about a lesser known AI character that they both failed to mention during their discussion at lunch. They both know he’s just filling the silence to keep from freaking out and Danny doesn’t object. In fact, he participates in the conversation like the whole thing was his idea.

Stiles isn’t used to talking to someone these days, so he’s a little tired by the time they pull into the parking lot of the clinic. Danny locks the car once they’ve exited and they are both welcomed by Deaton and Ms. Morrell once they step inside the building.

“Stiles, it’s nice to see you again. Hello, Danny,” Ms. Morrell says. 

“Hello.” Danny looks a little uncomfortable when he makes the connection that she is the druid midwife that Stiles was talking about. Still, he doesn’t turn and run out screaming, so Stiles gives the guy credit where it is due. He introduces him to Deaton and the adults do the whole spiel about keeping secrets and how it’s safer for everyone if the average citizen doesn’t know the extent of their knowledge and experience.

Danny promises that he’ll be discreet and not say anything to anyone without their express permission and they believe him.

“Danny found me having a meltdown in the bathroom after first period. I’d already thrown up twice thanks to the morning sickness and I was bawling my eyes out because of the hormones. I told him what was going on and he volunteered to come along and keep me company.”

“But I already knew about werewolves,” Danny adds. “Jackson is my best friend and he gave me a recording of him turning into a giant lizard, so I put two and two together.”

“I am available to answer any questions you may have. Marin has everything set up in my office. I’ll be in the back taking care of a cat that’s been infected with roundworm.”

Ms. Morrell turns and leads them into the office. There is an exam table that Stiles has never seen before and he sits down. It’s much more comfortable than the metal tables that the animals have to put up with and it has padding for his head to rest on. She closes the door so that they will have privacy in case anyone should come into the clinic.

“Stiles, I have a few questions before we begin your exam. I’m still trying to understand how this happened and I’m hoping that you may have a theory or two.”

Stiles crosses his arms in front of his chest and he groans. He knew he was going to have to deal with this eventually, but he wasn’t expecting it to happen so soon. “I’m pretty sure this is my fault. I mean, I had this thought while Isaac and I were going at it and I felt something happen with my spark.”

Danny, seated in a chair next to him, looks at Stiles for an explanation. “What’s a spark?” 

“A spark is rudimentary term for a person that can perform powerful magic. It’s a rare gift and I was under the impression that you weren’t aware of it, Stiles,” Ms. Morrell says.

Stiles looks down at his hands before looking into her eyes. “Deaton mentioned something about it while he was teaching me how to use mountain ash. Derek loaned me a couple of books that survived the fire and I found a bunch of entires about sparks and there was even a basic spell that werewolf packs used to determine if a person had one. Did you ever hear about the fire on the lacrosse field last semester?”

Danny and Ms. Morrell both nod. “It wasn’t just some dumb kid playing with fire. In fact, it was this dumb kid trying to see if he had a spark. It turns out that I do and it’s pretty powerful.”

Ms. Morrell lets that information sink in as she grabs a crystal pendulum and lets it hover a few inches above Stiles’ stomach. He and Danny share an amused expression until the crystal starts swinging in a counterclockwise spiral. “I can see what you mean. It’s far more powerful than Alan led me to believe. He’s an idiot for not sitting you down and discussing all of this with you.”

“Yeah, I asked him about it once and he just kind of blew me off. Of course, the darach was sacrificing people at the time and we were all a little busy. I’ve been doing okay with my own research, but there’s only so much reliable information online and the books I can get through an interlibrary loan are small in number.”

“I’ll have a talk with my brother and we’ll see if we can’t help you fill in the gaps. I’d like you to remove your shirt so that I can perform a sonogram.” She reaches for a squeeze bottle of gel on a nearby counter and waits for Stiles to comply with her request. 

He peels off his shirt and hangs it over the back of the exam table. He’s never been one for showing off his body and he’s even more self-conscious now that he has an actual baby growing inside of him. Thankfully, their eyes don’t seem to linger for too long when it’s clear that he isn’t showing yet. “Deaton just gave me a sonogram.”

“Stiles, my brother is a talented veterinarian and he excels at taking care of sick animals. I, however, have master’s degrees in psychology and early childhood development, not to mention years of training to become a certified midwife. I just want to confirm that everything’s okay and that nothing was missed.”

Stiles doesn’t see any harm in repeating the procedure. He squirms uncomfortably when the cold gel is applied to his abdomen. Danny laughs at him while Ms. Morrell wheels the machine closer. She turns it on and rubs the wand in the gel before applying a small amount of pressure against Stiles’ skin. The machine immediately detects the fetus and begins amplifying the heartbeat so that they can all hear it. It’s a sound that enraptures Stiles and he begins to understand why werewolves pay so much attention to the sound of those that are around them. 

Ms. Morrell is quiet as she performs her examination, but she moves the wand back to the center of his stomach and lets it hover there for a few minutes. “Stiles, when did this sexual encounter take place?”

“Two months ago.”

“Are you certain?”

“Yes, you don’t just forget the day that you lose your virginity. I almost ordered a wall plaque to commemorate the event, but it seemed like it would be in poor taste.”

Danny gives him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder while Ms. Morrell starts taking measurements. “Don’t take any offense. I’m just confirming the date of conception so that I can gauge the baby’s health and determine an accurate due date. I don’t see any abnormalities or cause for concern.”

“Really? You’re sure?”

She turns to look at him after hearing something odd in his voice. “Perhaps now is a good time for us to discuss your options. As you know, you can carry the baby to term and we’ll plan for a cesarean delivery. We can find a pack willing to adopt the baby if that’s something you’d like us to look into, but I don’t recommend placing the child with humans. There is also the option of abortion.”

Stiles looks at the image of his child on the screen and he immediately knows what he wants to do. “I’m keeping it. No one else is raising my baby and there’s no way I’m going to abort it. I used my magic to make this happen and I’m not going to treat it like it’s some kind of mistake.”

Ms. Morrell and Danny both smile at him and he notices that they seem relieved by his decision. “Very well. Would you like to know the sex of your baby? It usually takes eighteen weeks for the sex of human babies to be detectible, but your child is progressing more rapidly because of the circumstances of its conception.”

Stiles keeps his eyes focused on the image on the monitor. “It’s a boy. I can feel it somehow even though I don’t really understand it. I can also tell that he’s a werewolf.”

Ms. Morrell taps a few buttons on the machine and it starts printing out a series of photos. “Sparks often have special insight into the members of their pack. It’s almost like a sixth sense that develops because of the pack bonds, and it’s even stronger between a spark and their children. Your son is healthy, but we need to continue to monitor his health as he grows.”

“Is there anything to be concerned about?” Danny asks.

“Not specifically, but I think it would be prudent for us to exercise caution since this has never happened before. Stiles, it looks like you have developed a womb and that all of the baby’s needs are currently being met. I suggest we have weekly examinations so that we can detect any potential problem before it becomes an issue.”

Stiles wants to have a healthy baby. He acknowledges that there are probably going to be a multitude of risks on top of all those that a normal pregnant woman would have. He’s a guy with a brand new uterus and his unborn child is a werewolf, so certain things are a given. He just wants to know everything as soon as possible so that he can make informed decisions to keep his son safe. “Yeah, I think that sounds like a good idea.”

“Good. We should make preparations for a home delivery. I’ll get you a supply of folic acid and prenatal vitamins. Werewolf babies are resilient and I don’t foresee any complications.”

Stiles is unable to stop grinning when she hands over the sonogram photos that she printed. He likes the idea of a toddler-sized werewolf running around the house and growling at strangers. He just hopes the kid won’t have the same exorbitant amount of excess energy that he had at that age. Ms. Morrell passes him a paper towel to clean the gel off of his stomach and he puts his shirt back on. “How long until I start showing? I’m not going to be able to go to school once that happens and Malia has already started to notice that my scent is changing.”

Ms. Morrell thinks for a moment. “Pregnant women usually start showing between twelve and fourteen weeks, but werewolf babies do tend to develop a little faster as I previously mentioned. It won’t be long now and I suggest we start making a plan to tell your father and all your friends. You should also let Isaac know.”

Stiles looks up at her. “I’m pretty sure that I’m gonna need some therapy before I’m ready to do that.”

“That can also be arranged,” she promises, and she pats his knee in a way that is oddly comforting.

She turns and begins packing up her supplies. She stops and pivots back to Stiles as soon as she has pushed the sonogram machine back against the wall. “It just occurred to me that there are magical options we can try. I learned how to obscure my scent during my first year of training to be Deucalion’s emissary. It might buy you a little bit of time.”

“That would be great!”

“Let me go grab something from the back room.” She leaves them alone in Deaton’s office and Stiles takes a minute to rest his hand over his abdomen. He knows that it’s too soon to be able to feel the baby move, but he takes comfort in just knowing that his son is safe inside of him and getting everything he needs to thrive. 

“Thanks for coming with me, Danny.”

“You don’t need to thank me.”

“Yeah, I do. Also, thanks for not freaking out when you found out that I hooked up with Isaac.”

Danny was surprised by Stiles’ statement and he looked over at him with a raised eyebrow. “Why would I freak out about that? I knew you were bisexual as soon as you started asking me if you’re attractive to gay guys.”

Stiles laughs loudly at that memory. It was the first time he’d laughed like that since Allison’s death and he feels the happiness slip away as his guilt reminds him that she can’t laugh anymore. She’ll never feel happiness again. His hand immediately goes to his forearm and his fingernails start to scratch into his skin. Danny grabs his hand and stops him as soon as he sees what Stiles is doing. His eyes stay focused on the barely noticeable injuries on Stiles’ arm and he wonders how many injuries that Stiles has had that he’s never noticed before. “What just happened?”

Stiles keeps his focus on one of the framed photos on the wall. “Nothing,” he lies, and it’s not his best performance to date.

“That was definitely something. We were laughing and then you just shut down and started to hurt yourself.”

“I don’t deserve to be happy.”

Being happy felt like a betrayal to Allison’s memory. Why should he get to feel the good things in life when all the people he helped murder were unable to feel anything at all? He pulls his hand away from Danny and stands up. He tosses the paper towel covered with gel into the nearby trash can and walks out of the room without saying another word.

Danny follows him and he increases his speed to block the exit before Stiles can leave. Part of him is worried that Stiles will try to walk home to avoid having to talk about his feelings, and the way the teenager’s mood had shifted so drastically has left him concerned.

“Stiles, you deserve to be happy. Of course you do. Allison would want you to enjoy your life and she would want you to be excited about your baby.”

“Allison would want to be alive,” Stiles counters. “It’s my fault she’s dead. I killed so many people, Danny.”

“Nonsense,” Deaton interrupts. They hadn’t heard him enter the room with his sister and it’s clear that they both heard what Danny and Stiles had said to each other. “It’s called possession for a reason. It may have tried to convince you that you were responsible or trick you into believing that you wanted to hurt those people, but those of us that know you are well aware of the fact that you aren’t capable of that kind of cruelty.”

Stiles looks at them and he finds himself wondering just who they think he is. “Sure I am. It wouldn’t have been able to take control if I was strong enough to fight it on my own. It saw that it could use me and it took advantage of my inner darkness or whatever.”

Marin steps forward until they are an arm’s length apart. “You’re searching for an explanation when there isn’t one to be found. It could have just as easily possessed anyone in this room. Even if you were responsible, which you’re not, Allison would have forgiven you. I suspect that Aiden would have as well.”

Stiles finds himself nodding even though he doesn’t completely believe it. The thing is that her words make logical sense and he knows that Allison _would_ want him to be safe and happy. That was the whole reason she tried to save him instead of going the easy route and terminating the threat when there was ample opportunity to do so, he realizes, and he’s able to admit for the first time just how much he misses her. They were never best friends, not like he was with Scott, but they understood each other and they cared about each other. “Okay. I think I just need to go home and get some sleep. I’ve been having a lot of nightmares and I’m exhausted from incubating a new life form.”

She hands him a coin and Stiles’ eyes are drawn to the inscription. The words are unreadable because of the age of the coin, and it feels heavier than it looks like it should be. It feels warm in his palm and he can easily sense the magic within it. “This will help mask your scent as long as you keep it on you. Just be aware that they might become curious once they realize they can’t smell you at all.”

“Thank you. All of you,” he says. 

Deaton enters his office and returns with a lavender candle that he hands to Stiles. “Burn this for a few minutes before you go to sleep. The aroma is believed to help induce peaceful dreams. It’s not magic, but I’ve always found it soothing.”

He sets up a date and time for the following week to check the baby’s progress and for the first of what will probably be many therapy sessions. Ms. Morrell actually gives him a hug and whispers to him that he’s going to be okay before she reminds him to keep going. He finds himself remembering the first time she told him that as he walks to Danny’s car.

They both get in and Danny tells him that he’s going to drive back to the school so that Stiles can pick up his car. Stiles promises he’s okay to drive even though Danny seems reluctant, but he eventually accepts that Stiles can take care of himself. “You have my number, right?” Danny asks once he pulls up next to the Jeep.

“Yeah.”

“You can call or text me if you need anything. And you can sit at the lunch table with me for as long as you want. You saw that no one cared after the initial surprise wore off and I think they were all relieved that they didn’t have to try to involve me in their conversations. I mean, they’re not bad people, but I can’t exactly talk to them about the final points of artificial intelligence.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are you happy with Stiles' decision to keep the baby? How do you think he should break the news to Isaac?


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles reaches out to Chris Argent for help. He gets turned down, but not for the reasons he thought he would be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stiles continues to have negative thoughts about himself and his trauma in this chapter, so consider yourself warned. I tried to write Chris in a way that didn't make him out to be the bad guy even though he was still grieving the loss of his daughter, but some of his future actions are going to be a little more questionable.

Stiles knocks on the front door and he instantly regrets it. He was hesitant to just show up on Chris Argent’s doorstep, but his current situation means that he needs a little bit of the man’s help. His father mentioned that Chris was back in town while they were having a healthy breakfast that Stiles prepared, and the two had run into each other at a gas station of all places. His dad told him that Chris was visiting to finalize a couple of projects and that he was thinking of selling his house. Stiles wanted to get the conversation over with as soon as possible, so he made the decision to stop putting it off when he learned that Chris’ time in town came with an expiration date. 

He hears the man’s footsteps approach the door and watches as his mood shifts at the sight of him.

“Stiles. I don’t see a pizza in your hands.”

Stiles looks ahead and tries his best to remain strong. “I didn’t know that was a requirement for knocking on your door.”

Chris stares at him for an uncomfortable moment before snapping himself out of his own thoughts. “Sorry. I just meant that I ordered a pizza and I thought that they were the ones knocking. Would you like to come in?”

Stiles agrees even though he’s not sure it’s the wisest choice. He doesn’t want to be there and he doesn’t want to invade the man’s home, but he also knows that it’s rude to decline a person’s hospitality. Chris leads him into the living room and they both take a seat on the couch. 

“I’m sorry to just stop by without calling. I was worried you would tell me to stay away if I reached out, but I really need your help.”

“You need my help? With what?”

Stiles tried to give himself a pep talk on the drive over, and the only thing he decided for sure was that he wouldn’t mention all of the reasons behind his request. He doesn’t know how much Isaac has told him and he doesn’t want to cause any problems in their relationship by revealing what happened between them, so he holds true to his earlier decision. “I need to get in touch with Isaac. Do you have a contact number that you can give me?”

Chris stills at the mention of Isaac’s name. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Isaac is in France and he’s content there for the time being.”

“I get that. I really do. The thing is that I need to talk to him about something important. There’s something I need to tell him and I—.”

“No,” Chris answers sternly. 

Stiles is accustomed to being interrupted. He once had a tendency to babble and sometimes people had to interrupt his non-stop nonsense to get a word in. He isn’t normally offended by it, but something about Chris’ tone puts him on edge. 

“Look, I’m sorry I wasn’t strong enough to protect Allison. I get that you’re pissed at me and that’s fine. I’m the reason she died and I understand how seeing me would bring all that up. Just give me Isaac’s number and I’ll leave. Or, if you want, you can call him after I leave and ask him to call me. I just really need to talk to him.”

Chris is oddly quiet after the mention of his dead daughter. Stiles jumps up and he starts pacing when it’s clear that he isn’t getting through to the hunter. He doesn’t know how much more he can say without revealing what happened between them. He runs both hands through his hair as he tries to imagine how Lydia would handle this situation. He pauses long enough to see the conflicted look on Chris’ face.

“Stiles, is this is about what happened between you two before we left?”

He stops moving and he feels the heat of blush coloring his cheeks. He wasn’t expecting for Chris to know what happened and he feels like even more of a freak show in the man’s eyes. “He told you about that?”

“He told me that he took advantage of you. I know that feels terrible about it.”

Stiles frowns. “He’s an idiot. I’m the one that took advantage of him. I didn’t intend for it to happen, but it’s my fault for not putting a stop to it. He’s the one that had just lost his girlfriend and I’m pretty sure I kissed him first.”

Chris places his hands in his lap and keeps his eyes on the teenager standing in front of him. “I asked Isaac if he wanted me to pass on any messages before I came back to town. He asked me to look in on Scott and Melissa. He’s just not ready to deal with anything else right now. I’m sorry.”

Stiles feels himself sigh. He can hear the car pulling in the driveway and the thought of pizza and all of its associated smells makes his stomach do flips. He turns and heads for the door because he can’t traumatize Isaac with this, too. “Your pizza’s here. Have a nice visit.”

Stiles turns on his heels and he walks out of the house. He sits in his jeep for a minute after starting the engine and he still manages to pull out of the driveway before the man delivering the pie has even had a chance to get out of his car. He drives home and climbs into his bed with the blankets covering his entire body. He can’t make himself cry even though all of those emotions are just swimming around underneath the surface of the mask that he’s been wearing. 

The shitty thing is that he can understand Isaac’s need to separate himself from the situation and he wants to be mad that Isaac can get on with his life without a reminder of his mistakes, but Stiles can’t do it. He doesn’t blame Isaac for getting him pregnant and he certainly won’t blame his son. He’s left with the realization that Isaac will probably never be a part of his son’s life and he doesn’t know if that’s the best thing or the worst thing for everyone involved. 

He takes his cell phone out of his pocket and texts Danny a quick play-by-play of the situation. His new best friend responds promptly using complete sentences and the appropriate punctuation and Danny suggests they get together and watch a funny movie to take his mind off of it all. Stiles invites him over and he promises to make dinner. He also sends his father a text to let him know that Danny is on his way over to join them for dinner and a movie. It’s his dad’s first night off in almost a week and he feels bad for needing someone else to cheer him.

The movie is actually funny and Stiles is thankful for the distraction. His father gets along with Danny and they both have an easy time discussing normal topics that don’t involve supernatural creatures or the finer points of magical theory. Stiles cooks a stir-fry dish with lots of vegetables and a fair amount of chicken to go with it. No one seems to mind the low sodium tamari sauce that he uses and his father has the decency not to comment on the way he scarfs down two slices of apple pie in less than four minutes.

The three of them decide to watch another movie after dinner and they take turns laughing at the absurdity of the storyline and the numerous plot holes that stick out like gold in a room full of plastic. Stiles finds the night comforting in a way that he hasn’t felt since Scott turned into a werewolf and their lives turned into one catastrophe after another. He doesn’t blame Scott or even himself for things changing, but he’s still sad that they have.

Danny leaves a little after nine and Stiles goes upstairs to complete his homework. He finishes after a couple of hours because he’s not able to take his Adderall while pregnant and its absence has been more noticeable over the last few days, but he’s managing as best as he can. He looks skeptically at his bed before changing into his pajamas. He works through his regular nighttime routine before pausing to light the lavender candle that Deaton gave him and attempts to think positive and happy thoughts on the off chance that they will help repel his nightmares. He’s too tired to keep it up for long, so he blows out the flame and pulls the covers up to his chin after he makes himself comfortable. The window is still open an inch because it’s almost become a silent prayer in Isaac’s honor. The cool night air blows in and he wraps his arms around himself since no one else is there to do it.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack stages an intervention and sets a plan in motion to use magic to determine if Stiles is hiding the fact that he's possessed again. Things turn ugly and Melissa's nursing skills come in handy as tensions rise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this chapter with the intent of making it known that not everything is just in Stiles' head. His pack really do blame him on some level, and many of them don't trust him like they once did. This is the chapter that brings everything to the forefront so that these characters can start working through their issues, but don't expect happiness and butterflies in this one.

_**One Month Later**_  
  
  
Stiles feels uncomfortable at the pack meeting that Scott has managed to somehow drag him to. There aren’t immediate threats which he is thankful for, and the pack meeting is awkward since he’s been sitting at Danny’s table every day during lunch and he hasn’t said much to any of them since the first day he sat at Danny’s table. He’s got a noticeable baby bump that is concealed by a magical glamor that Ms. Morrel taught him how to do and he’s praying for the day when the morning sickness finally stops being such a nuisance. 

Scott, in his infinite wisdom, has suddenly decided that they all need to start spending time together again as if everything that has happened is just water under the bridge. 

Stiles finds himself wondering how much of the meeting is his idea. He knows for a fact that Scott and the others have been hanging out without him and he’s not bothered that he wasn’t included. He wouldn’t have shown up even if he had been invited, so he doesn’t get what has suddenly changed. He decides not to invite Danny because he’s pretty sure they would take offense. He’s also convinced that his dad thinks he and Danny are now dating and while it’s a flattering thought that Danny would be into him despite all of his damage and idiosyncrasies, the truth is much stranger than fiction.

He’s content with his father thinking whatever he wants if it means he has a little more time to figure out how to announce the fact that he’s going to be a grandfather in a few months. 

Melissa and his dad are in the kitchen grabbing everyone drinks. Malia and Scott are talking about the freedom of running wild through the preserve when Kira answers the door and returns with Chris Argent. It’s been four weeks since the night of their talk at his house and this is Chris’ first time back in town as far as Stiles is aware since he hasn’t been keeping track of the hunter’s movements.

Chris nods curtly at Stiles and then he shakes Scott’s hand before he joins the adults in the kitchen. Derek and Lydia are on the couch and having a conversation in hushed whispers. That wouldn’t normally bother Stiles as much as it is now, but the way that they keep looking over at him every few minutes is triggering. 

“What? Why do you keep looking at me?” Stiles finally asks once he’s had enough.

Everyone else has returned to the living room by then. Melissa has already given him a cup of lemon lime soda since he’s mentioned that his stomach is a little upset and a strange feeling at the pit of his stomach keeps him from taking a drink. They are all looking at Stiles now because of his outburst and they’re wondering why he seems even more distant than usual. 

Derek puts the fake smile on his face, the one that he’s seen a few too many times, and he isn’t fooled by the charm that Derek tries to use to put him at ease. “Sorry, Stiles. We were just saying how you seemed to be doing much better. Lydia was telling me that you’ve become good friends with Danny.”

“Yes, I have. Is that a problem?”

“Stiles…” He cringes at the warning tone that his father has used more than once to admonish his bad behavior in mixed company. He holds in an apology because something is off and he’s even more on edge now than he was before. 

“We’re not concerned that Danny is your friend,” Derek replies. “But we are concerned about you.”

“We were also talking about why you don’t seem to have a scent,” Lydia states. “Everyone with a heightened since of smell has noticed it. I’ve also started feeling something odd whenever you come around. It’s difficult for me to describe, but it feels like you’re wrapped in layers of magic. We’re just wondering what’s going on with you.”

Stiles is surprised that Lydia has been able to perceive his glamor, but he knows that there are aspects of her powers that they haven’t begun to realize. He mainly uses the glamor at school or when he knows there are going to be other people around, and he only lowers it when he’s around Danny, Ms. Morrell, and Deaton. It’s not a long-term solution since it takes a lot of effort to keep his pregnancy from being discovered, but he’s just not ready to stop going to school. Out of all the chaos in his life, school has become the one normal constant even if he no longer talks to Scott or the rest of the pack.

“She’s right,” Malia says. “You don’t smell like anything. It’s weird.”

Stiles can actually see the concern on all of their faces and he crosses his arms in front of his chest to distance himself from their stares. Of course, it does absolutely nothing to help. He begins to mentally count the steps it will take him to get to the door and he places the cup of soda down onto the nearest table, the contents having never touched his lips. “So you called this meeting to check up on me? I don’t need an intervention. I’m fine.”

“Your friends are just concerned,” his father explains.

Stiles looks at his dad and he tries to push down the feeling of betrayal that is rising to the surface. “I’ve been at school every single day. They could have walked up and asked me how I’ve been.”

“We never see you anymore, man,” Scott tells him. “You’re always sitting with Danny at lunch and you don’t hang out with us before or after school. It feels like you’re purposefully avoiding us.”

Stiles can’t deny that Scott has made a valid point. He has been distant and his reasons aren’t something that he’s ready to discuss right now. “I’ve been seeing Ms. Morrell after school for therapy.”

“You have?” John asks.

Stiles nods. “Yeah. I mean, it’s a weekly thing, but I feel like I’m finally at the point where I can say all the things that I need to say without feeling like she’s judging me the entire time. It’s gonna take a while, I guess. There’s other stuff going on, too, but I’m just not ready to talk about it yet.” 

He watches the look on Scott’s face change and he gets the distinct impression that the alpha doesn’t believe him. That’s the exact moment when everything starts to come into focus. He groans loudly and lowers his arms to his sides. “Guys, I’m not possessed. I’m just dealing with some things and hanging out with Danny is easier right now. He doesn’t look at me with that expression that the rest of you use.”

“What expression?” Kira asks. She seems genuinely curious and he decides to explain even though he’s still a little hesitant to do so.

“The one that says you don’t know if you can trust me to not try to kill you as soon as you turn your back.” They all seem to understand exactly what he’s talking about and no one makes an effort to convince him that they haven’t had those thoughts. “Look, I get it. I don’t blame you for being careful and I don’t blame any of you for feeling that way. I think I’m just gonna go.”

Stiles turns to leave and he freezes when a ring of mountain ash surrounds him. Stiles stares at it for a second before he looks up at Chris. The hunter is holding an empty jar that he’s trying to put back into the pocket of his jacket. 

“Stiles, you’ll have to forgive us, but we need to be sure,” Chris says.

The look in his eyes tells Stiles that he’s completely serious and he knows that whatever they have planned, it isn’t going to be a simple round of twenty questions.

“What are you going to do?”

Lydia stands up and she pulls a book out of her backpack. There’s a bookmark holding her place and she skims the text before looking up at him. “It’s a simple purification spell. It blocks any magic that could be affecting you and shows us if you’re under any foreign influences.”

Stiles immediately knows what the spell will do. “Did you run this by Deaton?”

“He was busy working on something with Ms. Morrell,” Scott says. “Lydia is sure that it’s safe.”

He starts to walk across the mountain ash barrier like he’d done a dozen times, but the werewolf baby in his belly is enough to activate the barrier and keep him from leaving. His hand immediately lowers to his stomach and the small amount of discomfort that the barrier has caused. “Damn it,” he says. He’s relieved when the pain quickly subsides.

When he turns back to the pack, he sees that everyone has taken the barrier as proof that he’s nothing more than a wolf in sheep’s clothing. “Guys, I know how this looks, but it isn’t what you think. You can’t do the spell.”

“Why not?” Chris asks, his eyes narrowed. “What are you hiding?”

Stiles’s fear is beginning to give way to annoyance, but not by much. He waves his hand at the mountain ash and it scatters away across the floor. While it can contain the werewolf he’s carrying, he still possesses the ability to manipulate the ash because of his spark. “It’s been a real fun party. Don’t hold your breath waiting for my RSVP for the next one.”

Stiles resumes his walk toward the door and he stops when he hears the sound of a gun cocking behind him. He spins around and his eyes find the gun that Chris is pointing at him. “Put that away!”

“I’m not gonna let you hurt innocent people,” Chris states. “You fooled us once and look what happened to my daughter. Now stand still while Lydia does her spell. You can leave when it’s over.”

“Dad?” Stiles asks. 

John is visibly conflicted. He’s seen the kind of damage the nogitsune did to the town and the citizens that he’s taken an oath to protect. He’s afraid even now, but the love for his son is more powerful than his fear. “You don’t need the gun, Chris. Put it away,” John orders.

Naturally, Chris refuses to holster his weapon. He ignores the sheriff’s request because it comes from the father of the boy the gun is trained on and not from the law enforcement officer that is focused on protecting the town.

“Put the gun away and I’ll tell you everything, but the spell is a bad idea. Deaton would have told you that if you’d bothered to ask him.”

“We told you why we couldn’t,” Scott says. Stiles really wants to punch him in the face, but he knows that any perceived hostility will just be used against him in this situation.

“Stiles, why can’t we use the spell?” Lydia asks. “It’s low-level magic and something that I can easily perform.”

Stiles is still hesitant to give the exact reason, so he shoots for a truthful answer that doesn’t give away too much. “I don’t know how it will affect me. It might do nothing at all. It could also kill me just like those bullets are going to do. It’ll certainly deactivate the glamor that’s made it so I can go to school.”

Lydia and Derek share a look and the former alpha knows that not being proactive can lead to catastrophic losses. “Do the spell,” Derek advises. 

Stiles returns his gaze to Chris since he’s the only one holding the gun capable of killing him and his unborn child. “I can’t let you do the spell on me until Deaton okays it, but I have no intention of harming any of you. Call Deaton and let him explain if you need proof, but stop pointing that gun at me.”

Chris turns to Scott and the werewolf nods. He started to lower his weapon when he misinterprets the relived smile on Stiles’ face. Something snaps and he points the weapon and pulls the trigger before anyone can stop him.

Stiles activates his spark and he falls to his knees. The bullet has been stopped by his spark and it is suspended in the air until he releases his hold over it. The silver bullet falls to the floor and rolls under the couch. “Do the spell, Lydia,” Chris orders. 

The mountain ash forms into a circle around him once again. Stiles doesn’t have too many options, but he knows that he’s got to do something to protect his son. He raises his hand and the book jumps out of Lydia’s grip and slides across the floor. He reaches for it and picks it up as soon as breaks through the ring of ash and is close enough for him to grab. The ring is repaired almost immediately.

“I can’t do the spell without the book,” Lydia admits, and she looks as agitated as she did the first time Stiles and Scott crashed one of her parties in middle school. 

Derek and Scott begin advancing and Chris directs the ring of ash to move closer to Stiles’ body so that they can take the book from him without him having to lower the barrier. Stiles focuses and a protective shield forms around him and begins pushing back against the shrinking ring of mountain ash. It doesn’t occur to him until after the fact that the shield has also cut off his access to oxygen.

“Stop,” Stiles pleads.

Melissa and John stay still while the werewolves begin scratching at Stiles’ protective barrier. What the werewolves don’t know is that each strike to the barrier is causing Stiles physical pain since the shield is an extension of his power. He keeps the book pressed close to his chest and he waits. He knows the pack will never back down against a perceived threat and he had no chance of escape, so all he can do is try to hold out for as long as possible in the hope that they’re going to come to their senses. 

He can easily hear the growls coming from Derek and Scott. They’re frustrated that the shield is still holding despite their attempts to break through with brute force. “Just give us the book, Stiles,” Scott demands.

Stiles remains silent. He’s aware that they’re not going to believe anything he says and he can’t even blame them for reacting this way. This is how they should have reacted when they all realized he was possessed by the nogtsune and it’s clear that their feelings for him were the reason the demon was able to take complete control over him. If they had killed him at the earliest signs of his possession then the demon wouldn’t have been able to take complete control of his body. The nogitsune used the oni to teach them that lesson.

Stiles’ hand lowers to his stomach. “You’re going to kill us,” he says, but they don’t seem to pay any attention to his words. He can’t help but feel that this was inevitable from the moment Scott was turned. There was always someone trying to turn him and Scott against each other, and then the alpha pack tried to turn Scott against everyone. 

“Something isn’t right,” John says. “If he’s so evil then why isn’t he attacking? He’s just sitting there defending himself because he doesn’t want to hurt any of us.”

Chris is adamant that his concerns aren’t valid. “It’s got to be a ruse. We have to be sure.”

“Not at the expense of my son’s life,” John says.

Stiles realizes the exact moment that the air has started to thin. His body tries to compensate by breathing more heavily to circulate more oxygen in his blood, but he forces his breathing to equalize so that what little air is left will last as long as possible. He looks up at Scott and Derek and stares as they continue trying to break through his shield. Stiles can feel that it won’t hold much longer and it will fail completely if he loses consciousness.

“This stops now!,” John orders, but no one listens. 

Lydia backs up and moves to stand next to Kira and Malia. Stiles sees the way her expression changes as her inner nature begins to sense what is about to happen. Her eyes lower from Stiles’ face to the life inside of him and she springs into action. “Stop it! Scott!”

Scott turns and looks at her. His beta shift fades away as soon as he sees the horror on her face. “What’s wrong?”

She runs to the barrier and shoves Derek away like he’s her annoying little brother in the middle of a temper tantrum. He growls at her, but it’s without malice and then shifts back to his human form when it becomes clear that she isn’t going to move.

“It’s okay, Stiles. I won’t do the spell,” Lydia promises.

Stiles avoids looking at her. He wants to believe her, but he can’t take the risk. “You’re trying to trick me and I can’t let that happen. I’ve got to protect him.”

Lydia starts to cry and everyone in the room is confused as to what it is that she is suddenly aware of. Scott asks her for an explanation but she ignores him. “You can’t protect him if he’s dead, Stiles. Please.”

Stiles is crying too and he’s starting to get dizzy. “He’s all I have. I’m gonna protect him even if I have to die to do it.”

Lydia glances over her shoulder and she sees Scott hovering there. “Call Deaton and tell him what’s going on. Tell him to get over here now.”

“Why?” Scott asks.

“Just do it, Scott!”

She uses her hand to break the ring of mountain ash and then places her hands on Stiles’ shield. “Stiles, you’re going to suffocate if you don’t lower the shield. You’re both going to die if you don’t. Stiles, I’m about to scream and you know what that means.”

Stiles looks up and sees that she is crying. He collapses back against the hardwood floor as soon as the shield falls. He’s still finding it difficult to breathe and he can barely keep his eyes open. 

“Deaton, what the hell does that mean? Okay, fine, I’ll ask her,” Scott says, his voice loud enough so even the humans in the room can hear him. He’s got his cell phone pressed to his ear and he looks over at Lydia. “He’s asking if the baby is okay. Do you know what he’s talking about?”

“Tell him they’re both about to die and it’s all our fault.”

Lydia leans down and she puts her hand on Stiles’ neck. He’s gone still and his diaphragm isn’t moving. She pulls her hand back when she can’t find his pulse. “I…I don’t think he’s breathing and I can’t find a pulse.”

Melissa runs over and kneels down next to him. His unconsciousness causes the glamor to fade away like a mirage and everyone in the room reacts to the fact that Stiles is pregnant. They’re still full of suspicions, but they’re also starting to realize what it is that they’ve done and they’re feeling the kind of guilt that many of them have never felt before.  
Despite the strangeness of the situation, Melissa gathers her thoughts and begins feeling for Stiles’ pulse. She actually smiles when she finds it. “It’s there. I think he just passed out. See? His breathing should return to normal in a few minutes. It happens sometimes after prolonged asphyxiation.”

Lydia looks over at her. “Then why do I still feel like screaming?”

Melissa pauses long enough to figure out what might be wrong based on her years of experience as a nurse in emergency medicine. “The baby may have been deprived of oxygen for too long. I’m not a neonatal specialist and it’s not like we can take the baby out and start CPR. I don’t think the baby would survive it.”

Scott provides Deaton with the latest update and a short recap of what Lydia and his mother have been talking about. Derek looks at Scott after overhearing Deaton say something on the line. “He’s right, Scott. You’ve got to try it.”

The alpha tells Deaton to hurry before he ends the call and throws the phone on the couch. He kneels in front of Stiles and he unleashes a fierce growl to the werewolf inside of Stiles. After a moment, Lydia begins to nod as the urge to scream dissipates. “I think it worked. You did it.”

“What did he do?”

“He used his position as alpha to call to the baby inside of Stiles,” Derek tells them. “The response to an alpha’s call is a primal instinct that can’t be ignored.”

John crosses the room and he sits on the floor next to his son. He runs a hand through his boy’s hair and his wide eyes stay focused on the pregnant belly. “How is this possible?” It’s intended as a rhetorical question since he doesn’t think anyone has an answer.

Chris winces as the realization hits him. He immediately understands why Stiles was so adamant about needing to get in contact with Isaac and he feels so foolish, both for his behavior and for being so suspicious of Stiles’ motivations.

“Do you know something that you’d like to share?” Derek asks. The werewolf is reeling from the fact that he let a hunter talk him into hurting a member of his pack and that it had almost resulted in two deaths. He knows Laura and his mother would be ashamed of him and he can’t help but feel the need to apologize profusely. He wouldn’t blame Stiles for never speaking to him again. 

“Stiles came over a few weeks ago and asked me to put him in contact with Isaac. I thought I was protecting Isaac because he didn’t want anything to do with Stiles after what happened. He blamed himself for not stopping it and he thought Stiles would hate him. They had a one night stand before we left for Paris. I don’t know the whole story, but I think Isaac is the baby’s other father.”

“Deaton talked like he knew all about this,” Scott reveals. “I think Stiles was telling the truth when he said that he’s been seeing Ms. Morrell. She’s been around the clinic a lot recently. Are they gonna be okay?”

Melissa is hesitant to say anything at all. “They might need to run some tests to be sure everything is fine. Brain damage can occur faster for in-utero babies when their pregnant mother asphyxiates. I think Stiles was teetering on that line, but I don’t think he crossed it. Can you hear the baby’s heartbeat?”

Scott and Derek both lean in to listen. They are immediately mystified by the sound once they’re able to pick it up. “It’s so fast.”

“That’s normal for babies,” Melissa tells them. 

John runs a hand down his face as the worst realization of all time hits him like a ton of bricks. “We almost killed my son and grandson.”

“We didn’t know,” Chris replies. His eyes stay glued to the floor. 

“Can we really blame him for not wanting to tell us?” Lydia inquires. “We really screwed this up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chris made some crappy decisions in this chapter, but he isn't a bad guy. He's still grieving his daughter's death and he's a little too fixated on Stiles and what would happen if he became possessed again. He'll try to make amends in future chapters, so please give the guy a chance to make up for his errors in judgement.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles runs to Danny for help and he gets the support that he both needs and deserves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really liked Danny's character on the show and he was really missed when his character seemed to disappear without a trace. I like adding him into my fics and I settled on adding him into this one as a way to give Stiles someone that he could lean on for support.

Stiles wakes up to the sound of Ms. Morrell refusing to answer any questions about what she did or didn’t know. “As I’ve told you, anything that Stiles told me is confidential. I can tell you that both he and the baby are alright, but you’re going to have to discuss the situation with him if you want or need more information.”

“He’s not gonna want to tell us anything now.”

“How is Stiles able to do magic?” Scott asks.

Ms. Morrell repeats her earlier answer that she won’t break his confidence. She means business.

Stiles is relieved to know that his son is safe and healthy, but he can’t concentrate on that fact when he’s in a room surrounded by people that just tried to hurt them. He activates his spark and stands up slowly. He exits the house through the front door without any of them noticing thanks to his spark masking his escape. He doesn’t care how it happened or the metaphysics behind it, he just cares that no one will try to stop him. He isn’t able to breathe properly until he’s in his Jeep and a few blocks away from the McCall residence. 

He drives to the dead end street in Danny’s subdivision and walks the three blocks it takes to get to his house. He sits down on the porch and then he’s crying and sobbing. He doesn’t even notice when the porch light is turned on.

Danny comes outside to investigate and he wraps an arm around Stiles and leads him into the living room. They sit down on the most comfortable couch that has ever existed and his head is resting on Danny’s shoulder as the teenager starts shoving tissues into his hands.

They sit like that until Stiles regains enough composure to accept the fact that he’s leaning on Danny and the boy’s arm is still around his shoulder. 

“Stiles, what happened to you? Are you okay?”

Stiles continues to wipe away tears as he fills Danny in on everything that happened at Scott’s house. He avoids looking at him because he doesn’t think he can handle the thought of his only friend explaining away the pack’s behavior or admonishing him for not telling them about his pregnancy sooner. Instead, Danny pulls him into a firm hug and refuses to let go until they’ve both stopped crying.

“I’m so sorry you had to go through that. There are no words, man.”

“Do you think it would be okay if I stayed here tonight? Would your parents mind?”

Danny doesn’t even hesitate. “They’ll be out of town for another week. You can stay as long as you need to, okay? It’s kind of nice to see your pregnant belly for a change. The only time I get to see it is when Ms. Morrell is examining you at the clinic.”

Stiles laughs at him and he activates the glamor to obscure his baby bump. Danny rolls his eyes at how effortless the process is and decides not to make a big deal out of the fact that Stiles is embarrassed to let anyone see it. “Are you hungry? Do you want to watch something?”

Stiles pauses before he shakes his head. “I ate before I went to Scott’s. Is it okay if I just go to sleep?”

Danny stands and he leads him down the hallway and into the basement. The entire room is Danny’s bedroom and there’s a large king-sized bed that seems to be calling to Stiles as soon as he sees it. Danny waves him over to it before walking into his closet to grab some pajamas for Stiles to change into. “These might be a little big, but they should get you through tonight. We can go and get some of your clothes tomorrow when your dad’s at work.”

Stiles thanks him multiple times and Danny leaves him to it. He comes back ten minutes later and finds that Stiles has changed and he’s sitting on the floor with his back against the bed. He’s crying again and Danny’s heart breaks at the sight. 

“I couldn’t protect him, Danny. He almost died and I couldn’t keep him safe.”

Danny directs him to stand up and they both get situated on the bed. “Stiles, you did everything you could short of killing your dad and your friends.”

“Some friends.”

“I know. What they did is inexcusable and I’ll tell them so the first chance I see them.”

Stiles immediately feels bad for drawing Danny into his drama. “You don’t have to do that. They’ll just get pissed at you, too.”

“I don’t give a crap. They shouldn’t be performing spells without knowing what the hell they’re doing and they should have tried talking to you instead of just jumping to conclusions.”

Stiles is thankful that his friend agrees with him on those two points. “Yeah, it’s just common sense. They made it sound like they went to ask Deaton about it and he was busy with Ms. Morrell, so they just decided that it was safe to try since the universe didn’t drop a flashing boulder in front of their perfect faces.”

Danny rubs his shoulder. “Just try to get some rest. We’ll deal with all of that tomorrow.”

“I’ll try, but I’m probably going to have nightmares. Don’t feel bad about slapping me and telling me to go sleep in my jeep.”

“I’ll wake you up if you need me to, but you’re safe here and no one is going to hurt you on my watch.”

“You’re a good guy, Danny. You’re too good to me, in fact.”

“Better late than never,” Danny states, and Stiles decides not to ask him to explain what he means.

* * *

Stiles wakes up after he’s pulled from sleep by the sound of the doorbell ringing. His eyes scan the room but there’s no sign of Danny and the fact that it’s almost midnight tells him that there’s a pretty good chance that whoever is at the door is looking for him. He slides himself out of the bed and goes upstairs as quietly as he can manage. He pauses at the end of the hallway and he can easily make out Danny’s voice. It’s quickly followed by one that is even more familiar.

“Look, I just want to know if my son is here.”

Danny stands in front of the doorway with his arms on his hips. “Is his car in the driveway?”

“No,” the sheriff answers a second later.

“Then he probably isn’t here.”

“Danny, I know you’re a good kid, but right now you’re the only thing standing between me and my son. Now move out of my way.”

Danny doesn’t move. Stiles has long admired Danny’s lacrosse skills and he’s pretty sure that the guy is more than capable of defending his home. “This is private property. You’re going to need a warrant if you want to come into my house without my parent’s permission. You should know that the Whittemores are close family friends and they’re both prominent lawyers in Beacon County. I’m sure they’d love a chance to take on the city. Can you imagine how much free publicity they would get?”

“I swear to God…”

“I’m gonna stop you right there, sir. Let’s say your son is here, hypothetically speaking. That would mean that he doesn’t feel safe anywhere else and he needs a friend to keep him company while he deals with the ramifications of whatever it is that happened a few hours ago. Now, I’ve been a good friend to your son and he knows he can trust me. He would also know that I’m not going to let someone come into my house and hurt him.”

“He’s my son. I would never hurt him!”

“I think he probably knows that, sheriff, but he might be confused because of recent events. It might be wise to give him a chance to cool off and figure things out before you drag him back to your place and beg for his forgiveness. I’ll tell your son you’re looking for him if I happen to run into him, but I wouldn’t expect to hear anything until tomorrow evening at the earliest. I don’t get out much and there’s probably no chance of me running into him until around that time.”

John Stilinski moves away from the door and accepts the limitations that he has as an officer of the law. “Fine. Let him know that I love him and that nothing will ever change that.”

“I will, sir. You might be comforted to know that our property has a state of the art security system. It can keep out burglars, misguided law enforcement officers, and even the most malicious of hunters with too much time on their hands. In fact, I don’t even think that imaginary creatures like werewolves, kitsunes, or banshees could get inside this house without an invitation. So, for what it’s worth, you have that peace of mind.”

John is contemplative as he mulls over Danny’s words. Stiles is seriously impressed by his friend’s tactics. “Thank you, Danny. I believe I understand.”

“Have a good night, sir.”

Stiles listens as Danny closes the door and locks both of the deadbolts. The teenager breathes a sigh of relief before he walks into the hallway and jumps at the sight of Stiles standing there in his oversized pajamas. 

“My hero,” Stiles coos. His arms pull Danny into a hug and he gives him a gentile kiss on the cheek before they return to the basement. 

“I was serious about you dealing with this tomorrow.”

“Yep, that’s still the plan.”

Danny knows a change of subject is in order because Stiles looks like he’s about to start crying again. “Hey, what should we have for breakfast tomorrow? I’m thinking pumpkin pancakes. They’re even better with slices of banana, but I ate the last one and I’ve been avoiding going to the grocery store. One of my exes works there.”

“That was an interesting segue. Are you trying to keep me from freaking out?”

“Yes, but I can’t do that if we keep talking about it. Do you like smoothies? You can put almost anything in a smoothie and it will still be healthy. It’s like alchemy only without the gold. Although, no matter what anyone says, beets do not belong in a smoothie. You should file that away for later.”

“Yeah, I’ll get right on that,” Stiles promises. He laughs and is surprised how easily Danny has managed to calm him down. 

“My mom used to try to trick me into eating more vegetables when I was a kid. The beet smoothie was the worst of her brilliant ideas.”

Stiles isn’t a fan of beets either so he gets it. His hand lowers to the baby and he rubs his stomach gently. “Don’t worry, kid. I’ll never be that cruel to you,” he promises.

They slide into bed and rest their heads on the fluffy pillows covered with satin pillowcases. “Thanks for all your help, Danny. I wouldn’t be dealing with any of this if you weren’t here for me. I want you to know that I really appreciate it.”

The teenager places his hand on Stiles’ shoulder and squeezes gently. “You don’t need to say any of that stuff. You’ve been helping me, too. I’ve been kind of friendless ever since Jackson went to London. I mean, I have friends, but they’re not the kind of people that are easy to talk to.”

“Well, it’s a good thing my life has crumbled down around me then.”

“Stop being dramatic. It’s not that bad, Stiles. You have a healthy baby in there, right? Can I?”

Stiles nods after figuring out just what it is that he’s asking. The glamour fell as soon as he started to fall asleep since it requires a conscious effort to keep it active. He didn’t even realize that he hadn’t reactivated it upon waking until now. Danny’s hand lowers from his shoulder to the globe under his shirt. Stiles finds that he’s oddly comforted by the touch and he can’t bring himself to look away from Danny’s face as the boy’s hand starts moving in circles. In fact, Danny looks enthralled by the entire experience and Stiles finds it oddly endearing.

He finds himself wishing that it was Isaac next to him with the same look of wonder on his face and he bites his lip to keep himself from vocalizing that thought and offending the only friend he has left. 

Danny snaps out of his trance after a few seconds and pulls his hand away. “Sorry. I was just wondering if this has ever happened before. I know sparks are rare, but this can’t be the first time it’s ever happened.”

“Deaton and Ms. Morrell talk like they’ve never heard of it happening, but it doesn’t freak them out as much as I thought it would. Maybe they’re just used to the unexpected after spending the last few years in this town.”

Danny smiles and then he closes his eyes. Stiles watches him for another moment before he returns his attention to the ceiling above him. It’s been covered in popcorn texture and the small bumps remind him of stars even though they have no visible light. His eyes soon grow heavy and he is lulled back to sleep. He has peaceful dreams.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles and Danny do a little bonding and they visit the animal clinic for a quick prenatal check-up after the events of the last few chapters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with another chapter, y'all. I really like Stiles and Danny just hanging out. I apologize for the dialogue-heavy text, but that's just the way I write at this point. I try to balance it out with the other stuff even though it doesn't always work out that way.

Stiles has been awake for a while when Danny places a mug of coffee on the table beside the bed. He also places a tray filled with pancakes, bacon, and a few scrambled eggs next to him. Stiles takes a quick look at everything Danny has done for him and he’s pretty sure that his heart is literally swelling in his chest. “How in the hell are you still single?”

“The local guys are all trash. Present company excluded, of course.”

“Thank you.”

“They all want to get off, but they don’t want any feelings or a relationship to keep them from their next conquest. I used to do all this for Jackson after one of his breakups with Lydia.”

Stiles reaches for the coffee and takes a sip. It has just the right balance of sweet and bitter and it’s liquid heaven in a world filled with shitty people and even shittier friends. Ms. Morrell told him that all the current research advised that one cup of coffee shouldn’t cause any issues and he was tempted to actually kiss her when she gave him the news. Thankfully, he held back, because that would have been too over top on the scale between awkward and crazy. 

Stiles thinks of her fondly each time he has a drink of the magical brew and he supposes that will have to suffice. His stomach begins growling loudly and Danny chuckles at his perfect timing before he leaves to retrieve his own plate and mug of coffee. He returns a few minutes later and sits next to him on the bed. Stiles makes it through all of his bacon and half of his coffee before he realizes that he should be in school. The clock tells him that it’s a few minutes after nine in the morning and he hates being late.  
“Shit. Danny, we’re late for school.”

Danny is quiet for a minute until he finishes taking a drink. “I didn’t think you’d want to go. I mean, I figured that Scott and the others would have been waiting to pounce on you as soon as you walked through the door. I probably should have brought it up last night.”

Stiles thinks it through and shakes his head. “No, you’re right. I don’t want to deal with any of them today. I should probably just have Ms. Morrell fax the health letter that she prepared for the school. I mean, keeping the glamor up all day takes a lot of effort and you know how paranoid I’ve been that I might lose focus and expose the baby to everyone there.”

“Yeah. Uh, don’t take this the wrong way, but you should probably talk about this with your dad. If you’re going to be gone for medical reasons, even a fake one, then the school is gonna expect to hear from him.”

“Yeah, you’ve got a point there. The last thing I need is Child Protective Services looking into why I’m missing school. Teen pregnancy is such a hassle.”

Danny laughs at him before taking another drink. “That’s why it isn’t encouraged, genius. But you’re gonna be okay.”

“Oh? You know that for certain, do you?”

Danny takes a bite of his breakfast and he chews slowly. Stiles keeps watching him and he convinces himself that Danny forgot that he even asked a question when the boy turns to look at him. “A lot of people care about you, Stiles. You may feel completely alone right now, but you aren’t.”

Stiles smiles at him for a moment and then he gets embarrassed and forces himself to look away. They finish eating their breakfast and Stiles sighs once he’s finished his daily allotment of coffee. “I should probably stop by the clinic and make sure everything’s okay with the baby. I heard Ms. Morrell say that he was fine before I hightailed it out of the house, but I kind of want to double check.”

“Yeah, we can do that.”

“My dad’s probably working today. Maybe we can meet him somewhere for lunch? I know what happened isn’t all his fault and he did try to stop it. He’s the only one I really want to see right now.”

Danny pats him on the knee. “Then I’ll make all the arrangements while you take a shower. I should have some of Jackson’s clothes around here somewhere and they’ll fit you much better than mine will. I’ll wash them once we pick up some of your own stuff from your house and he’ll never know.”

Stiles thinks the plan sounds solid. He can tell that Danny is trying to be optimistic to keep him from spiraling into an anxiety attack and he appreciates that he’s doing so much to keep him sane. “Okay, but I’m gonna go upstairs and wash all the dishes first. You made us breakfast and that’s the least I can do.”

“You don’t have to do that. I was going to put everything in the dishwasher anyway.”

Stiles shrugs his shoulders. “I don’t care. If you’re going to be this nice to me then you have to accept that I’m gonna feel the need to be just as nice back. Give me your plate.”

“Yes, sir.”

Stiles laughs at the poor attempt at a salute and then points to the mug. Danny hurries and finishes the cup before Stiles grabs his own dishes and goes upstairs to the kitchen. There aren’t many dishes and it takes him all of ten minutes to clean up. The stairs creak slightly under his weight as he heads back downstairs and Danny has already pulled out some clothes for him to wear. 

“This should be everything you need. I figured that you wouldn’t want to wear any of Jackson’s underwear, so I pulled out a pair of boxers that my mom got me last semester. I’ve never worn them.” He has an amused look on his face. “You’ll understand why when you see them.”

Stiles sorts through the small pile of clothes on the bed and he holds up the pair of boxers. They’re pale yellow and he’s unable to control the laughter that pours out of him as soon as he sees the monkey and reads the text. _**Hung like a banana!**_ is printed in wide letters and there’s a coy grin on the monkey’s face. “Danny, I have a feeling that your mom and I would really hit it off.”

“That’s what I’m afraid off. Go get cleaned up and I’ll call your dad and make sure it’s okay that we stop by the clinic.”

Stiles collects the clothes and walks into the bathroom that’s to the right of the stairs leading up to the main level of the house. Danny peeks his head inside before Stiles can close the door. “There are extra toiletries in the bottom drawer. Take whatever you need.”

“Thank you, Danny. Really.”

The teenager waves before he closes the door for him. Stiles turns on the water in the shower to give it time to heat up before he undresses. He falls in love with the shower pressure as soon as the hot water hits his skin and he uses a washcloth that Danny gave him to scrub himself clean. He doesn’t want to leave, but he doesn’t want Danny to be worried about him being gone for too long.

The guy is playing a computer game when he emerges from the bathroom half an hour later. Stiles is surprised that he hasn’t had any morning sickness yet and he hopes that he’s finally far enough along in his pregnancy that he doesn’t have to worry about such a thing. Danny looks at him fondly for a moment before shutting down his computer and walking over to him.

“Please let me take a picture and send it to Jackson. I’m begging you.”

“No way! Why would you even suggest something like that?”

“Dude, you look amazingly hot. He’ll instantly regret being such a jerk to you as soon as he sees you. Not to mention he’ll be wanting to know what you’re doing in my bedroom and why I’m loaning you his clothes.”

Stiles is hesitant, but the thought of pissing off Jackson is exactly the kind of mood lifter that he needs at a time like this. “Okay. Make it fast,” he says. He does his best imitation of Jackson’s cocky grin as Danny takes the photo and sends it to the former kanima. He returns his phone to his pocket and Stiles goes back into the bathroom to retrieve his dirty clothes. 

“Just throw those in the hamper. I need to do laundry over the next few days and it’ll be easy enough to add them to the mix. Your dad is all set for lunch at noon. We just have to text him where to meet us.”

“That’s good. You pick the place. The least he can do is buy us a nice meal.”

“Okay. Ms. Morrell is already at the clinic and Deaton says that we can stop by whenever we want.”

Stiles is terrified of receiving bad news about the baby, but he knows that putting it off isn’t going to help. “Is it okay if we go now? I’m kind of anxious to make sure that he’s really okay. I mean, I can sense him and he seems alright, but I could just be convincing myself of something when the truth is the complete opposite.”

Danny doesn’t say a word. He walks over and hugs him for a few minutes. They leave the house and decide to walk to Stiles’ Jeep. Danny still thinks he should drive, but Stiles is worried that one of the subdivision’s residents will have it towed if it stays there for too long. They find it exactly where he parked it and Stiles feels comfortable being inside the vehicle that once belonged to his mother.

He’s been thinking a lot about her lately because of his own pregnancy. He’s pretty sure that she would be thrilled for him despite the weirdness of the situation. They pull into the clinic and Stiles is happy to see that the only other cars belong to emissaries. They enter the clinic and are promptly led into Deaton’s office.

“How are you feeling, Stiles? I can imagine that last night’s events were pretty difficult for you.”

“It wasn’t a fun experience. I woke up and heard that they were grilling you for answers. Thanks for not telling them anything.”

Ms. Morrell nods before wheeling the sonogram machine over. “Well, it’s not my place to tell them anything. I made sure they understood that. I do feel that I should tell you how concerned they all were once they realized you left.”

Stiles didn’t feel bad for leaving. He doubts they would have let him leave at all if he tried to talk to them before making an exit, so retreat was the better option. “My dad showed up at Danny’s house and tried to force his way inside. Danny talked him down and we’re gonna meet him for lunch in a little while.”

She smiles at Danny and it’s a genuine expression of fondness. He thinks that her time away from Deucalion has done her some good, though he can’t help but wonder if they’re still in touch now that the guy has started to lead a redeemed life. “I think that will be good for both you and your father.”

The exam doesn’t take that long and she tells him that everything looks normal and that the baby’s werewolf healing is active and that there shouldn’t be any complications from the small amount of oxygen deprivation. “Your son continues to develop more quickly than a human baby would. These measurements would suggest that you’re around your twentieth week of pregnancy. You’re at the half-way point.”

Stiles pats his belly proudly. “I know this is gonna sound weird, but I almost don’t want him to come out. I know he’s safe in there and I can already tell that I’m gonna be one of those helicopter parents.”

Ms. Morrell wipes the gel off of him and disposes of the paper towel. “It will be scary at first, but you’ll fall into a routine fairly quickly. Every new parent is nervous. It’s just part of the job.”

Danny is distracted by the buzzing phone in his pocket. He pulls it out and smirks at the text message that Jackson sent. He’s tempted to read it out loud, but he doesn’t think Ms. Morrell would appreciate the foul language. He puts his phone away and helps Stiles swing his legs over the table and stand up. He watches as the glamor returns and the pregnant belly fades away.

“Do you know what would have happened if they had done that spell?”

“I can’t say for certain. It would have certainly deactivated your glamor and revealed your magic to them. Sparks have a certain amount of natural protection against harmful magic, but there are always weak points and loopholes.”

Stiles lets out a disgruntled sigh. “I tried to tell them that it could be dangerous. Lydia was so adamant that it would work. I’m just glad she realized the baby was in distress when she did. I still find it interesting that she’s been able to perceive the glamor all this time.”

Ms. Morrell leads them back into the main room of the clinic. No one else is around, so they’re free to continue discussing things without an audience. Deaton is sitting in the corner and filling out order forms and he pauses to listen to their conversation. “Banshees are very perceptive. Lydia is only beginning to tap into her gifts.”

“Yeah, she’s already kind of terrifying,” Stiles says.

“Stiles, I’m more curious about how you managed to create such a powerful shield. It held up against a born werewolf and a true alpha and I suspect that it was painful for you the entire time.”

Stiles can only shrug his shoulders. In retrospect, it was either keep the shield up or risk his baby being hurt by the spell or one of Chris Argent’s bullets. “The only thing that I was thinking about was protecting my son. I was able to stop the bullet that Chris shot at us, but I needed the shield to protect us from the mountain ash. It kept going smaller and smaller so that Scott could get access to the spell book.”

Ms. Morrell and Deaton share a look that Stiles and Danny both notice. “What is it?” Danny asks them.

“It’s just that mountain ash should have no affect on Stiles.”

Stiles doesn’t know what it means that the barrier did activate. “I was able to manipulate it like I usually do, but it took a little more effort to override Chris’ control. I’m pretty sure that my little werewolf baby is the reason the barrier repelled me. I felt his pain when it knocked us back, but it went away after a few seconds.”

“That is unexpected. What do you think it means, Alan?”

The male emissary remains seated in his chair, but his fingers begin tapping against his legs as he thinks of what could cause such a thing to happen. Stiles and Danny are confused about why it is so odd to them. “Why are you acting like mountain ash barriers don’t contain werewolf babies?”

“I’ve never heard of that happening,” Ms. Morrell states simply. “It usually doesn’t happen until the baby is born and they go through their first full moon. There are a handful of theories, but that knowledge has been lost to humanity for quite some time. I don’t think it’s anything to be concerned about, but it is an interesting development.”

Stiles automatically senses for the baby and finds that he’s okay. He isn’t able to pick up the baby’s emotional state, but he somehow knows that the baby is content. “I’ll grab some books from my room when we go to pick up my stuff. I think one of them has a whole chapter devoted to mountain ash and there may be something in there that I missed.”

“Very well. I’ll plan on seeing you next week for therapy and an exam.”

Stiles and Danny start walking to the door, but he stops and turns back to them. “Are you sure that I can’t pay you guys for this stuff. I mean, I would have to pay someone else and it just feels like I’m taking advantage of you.”

“Stiles, we are both financially secure for the rest of our lives,” Deaton explains. “We give back to the community because it’s a part of maintaining the natural balance. You don’t owe us a thing.”

Ms. Morrell nods her agreement to her brother’s words. “Although, if you really want to thank us, we will gladly accept baked goods.”

Stiles laughs at the pair of them. There was a time when they didn’t seem like they could be any more different and he wondered if they were actually related by blood. Now it was like he could see the sibling bond between them and all their similarities were visible to anyone that would take the time and look. “Okay. I’ll bring some pastries the next time I drop by,” he promises.

They get into the Jeep and Stiles looks at the time on his cell phone. He notices that he has multiple missed calls from various members of the pack and he also has about a dozen unopened text messages. He clears his notifications and puts his phone back into his pocket. “We still have some time before we meet my dad for lunch. What should we do?”

Danny looks at the clock and pauses long enough to come up with a plan. “We can stop by your house on the way to the restaurant. That way you can pick up anything you want and you won’t have to worry about Scott being there since he’s still at school.”

Stiles knows that it’s the perfect suggestion. He starts the vehicle and pulls onto the road. “So, have you heard from Jackson yet?”

“Oh, yeah, I completely forgot. He asked why you were wearing his clothes in my bedroom. I told him that you’re a good fuck and that he missed his chance.”

Stiles stares at Danny with his mouth hanging wide open. He’s thankful there aren’t any flies in the vehicle because he knows it would have been a perfect opportunity for them. “Why would you tell him that he missed his chance? Jackson likes girls.”

Danny sighs loudly as he prepares to break his oldest friend’s confidence without actually saying anything he’s been sworn not to reveal. “You know how much of an ego Jackson has, right? What if I told you that the reason he’s been pissy around you all this time is because of how into Lydia you were.”

Stiles finds the statement odd even though he can’t quite put his finger on why it seems that way. “I guess that makes sense. He didn’t like that I had the hots for his girlfriend.”

Danny nods slowly. “Yes, but isn’t it possible that he was actually upset that you liked her more than you liked him?

Stiles finds that Danny’s statement makes no logical sense. He stops at a red light behind a couple of cars and he immediately rejects the premise that Danny is offering. “There’s no way that Jackson wanted me to be into him. I mean, maybe in the abstract because it would just be another person stroking his ego, but there’s no way he wanted _me_ to be into him.”

“Sure. Okay.”

Stiles maintains a safe distance behind the car ahead of them once the light turns green. He takes a right on the road that will take them to his neighborhood. “Danny, are you actually suggesting that Jackson wanted me to be into him at some point? That makes no sense if that’s what you’re actually trying to say.”

“Why not? You had the hots for Lydia for years and then you hooked up with Isaac.”

“That was different. I’m bisexual. Jackson is…”

Danny remains silent and he stares at Stiles until he connects the dots. Stiles exhales rapidly once he gets it. “Holy shit. Jackson is bisexual?”

“I can neither confirm or deny that supposition, Stiles. Also, you just drove past your house.”

Stiles slams on the brakes and he’s thankful that there isn’t a car behind them. Danny is laughing at him and Stiles reverses the Jeep and pulls into his empty driveway. He cuts off the engine and removes his seatbelt. “That dick. He’s been a jerk to me all this time because he had a crush on me?!”

Danny pats him on the shoulder. “It started out that way, but I think you just really annoy the hell out of him at this point.”

“Give me your phone. I’m gonna call him and yell in his ear.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd love to see your theories about why the mountain ash activated on Stiles and the baby. Put on your thinking caps and come up with some interesting ideas!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a short little chapter highlighting Stiles and Danny's lunch with Sheriff Stilinski.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is short and sweet. It sets up some reconciliation between Stiles and John, but things aren't perfect just yet. Enjoy!

Stiles and Danny are seated in the booth at the only Applebee’s in town. Stiles is still upset that Danny won’t give him Jackson’s phone number so he’s currently giving his friend the silent treatment as they look through the menu while they wait for Stiles’ dad to arrive. 

“The sliders sound good,” Danny says. He knows that Stiles is giving him the silent treatment and he’s planning on getting through his friend’s exterior by figuratively killing him with kindness. “Oh, they still have the quesadilla burger on their menu. That thing is awesome.”

Stiles decides to look for it on his menu because it does sound good, but he’s not about to tell his friend that. He finally breaks down when Danny mentions that they don’t have curly fries. 

“Give me his number.”

“No, I can’t do that. You can always ask Lydia for it, but that would mean you’d have to talk to her about what happened last night. She might feel guilty enough to hand it over.”

Stiles punches Danny’s shoulder. “Don’t be a jerk, Danny. You’re going to be sleeping next to me for the next few nights and years of being Scott’s friend has taught me all the best ways to get payback.”

Danny pushes him gently and Stiles squirms uncomfortably from the way his center of gravity has shifted now that he’s pregnant. They both look up in time to see Sheriff John Stilinski stroll into the restaurant. The hostess at the front leads him to their table and he sits across from them. Stiles can’t bring himself to look at his father, so he takes a long sip of his soda and chews nervously on the straw while he waits for someone else to speak first. 

“Are you both okay?” John asks.

“I’m fine,” Danny states matter of factly. 

Stiles rolls his eyes. “Danny, he was asking about the baby.”

“Oh. Yeah, that makes sense.”

“I’m glad you’re fine, Danny,” John tells him. He looks at his son and Stiles meets his eyes. 

“We’re fine, too” Stiles finally reveals. “Ms. Morrell checked him over a little while ago.”

“I’m so relieved to hear that. I’m sorry about last night, son.”

Stiles’ eyes bore into him. “We almost died. If I hadn’t been able to stop that bullet…”

John reaches for his son and Stiles pulls away from him. “It got out of hand. We should have consulted Deaton about the entire thing, but you kids usually handle that stuff. Stiles, I feel horrible that I didn’t do more to stop it. I was just afraid that we were starting to lose you again. Our hearts were in the right place.”

Stiles frowns. He hears everything his father has said, but none of that matters to him when he weighs it against the life of his son. He acknowledges that they didn’t know about the baby and that they probably would have done things differently if they knew, but they don’t get a free pass for leaping without looking. 

They all pause their conversation long enough to order food and drinks from the waitress that appears by their table. She delivers an iced tea to John and Danny. Stiles drinks the water with lemon because he’s feeling a little dehydrated after all the tears he spilled the night before. He feels conflicted because on one hand he knows that his father loves him and just wants him to be safe and happy, but the fact of the matter is that he did nothing to stop Chris from shooting at him. He tried to calm things down, but it was too little and it came far too late.

“I’m gonna be staying with Danny for a few days. I feel safe there.” Stiles can see that his father is hurt by the fact that he doesn’t feel safe at home with him, but he’s smart enough to understand why. 

“Okay. I’m fine with that as long as Danny’s parents don’t mind.”

Danny has just finished taking a drink and he’s uncomfortable since they’re both staring at him. “It’s fine. My parents are out of town, but they’ll be back on Sunday. I’ve already told them that I have a friend staying over and they don’t mind.”

Stiles looks up at his father. “Ms. Morrell is expecting you to pick up a letter to deliver to the school. It’s to excuse me from classes since I’ve come down with a drug resistant bacterial infection. They’ll let me take my classes online until I’m able to go back.”

John nods. “I’ll stop by on my way back to work. Chris mentioned that he thinks that Isaac is the…”

“The one that knocked me up?” Stiles asks point blank. “Yeah, that’s true. We’ve always had this thing between us ever since Derek bit him, but then he was with Allison and I thought I had imagined it. The baby is my fault though. It happened because of my magic.”

“So this isn’t a normal occurrence for people that werwolves are intimate with?”

Stiles shakes his head. “Only if they’re a man and a woman. Same sex couples aren’t able to conceive just because one of the parters is a werewolf. This is all on me.”

Stiles took another drink of his water. The straw wasn’t very effective since it was all bent out to hell, but it did the job well enough. 

“Does he know?”

Stiles braces himself for the judgement that he knows is going to come his way. “No, he doesn’t know. I tried to get Chris to give me his phone number, but he turned me down.”

“Right. Chris mentioned something about that. I can run a database search and see if I can find a phone registered to him. Chris said that he’s still in Paris.”

Stiles appreciates the offer, but he doesn’t want to cause Isaac any more pain or upset than what he’s already responsible for. “Thanks, but I don’t think I’m gonna tell him.”

He can feel that Danny and his father are both staring at him now. He feels uncomfortable, but he knows that he needs to explain his thoughts. “Isaac blames me for Allison dying. He came over that night to try to convince me otherwise, but it’s clear that he was just doing that for my benefit. Now he’s pissed because of what happened and I can’t keep messing up his life. He left for a reason.”

Danny starts rubbing his back and he does his best to wipe away the tears in his eyes without drawing the attention of everyone in the restaurant. “I can do this on my own. It’s gonna be hard, but I can manage.”

“You don’t have to do this alone, Stiles. I want to help you,” John says. “I know it’s going to take some time to repair things after what happened, but I’m not going anywhere.”

“I’ll help too,” Danny promises. “Kids love me. My mom always says that it takes a village to raise kids and you have that, Stiles. Some of the inhabitants need to pull their heads out of their asses and apologize for their horrible behavior, but it’ll happen eventually.”

Their conversation is interrupted by the server bringing their food. Stiles digs into his quesadilla burger and ignores the smug look on Danny’s face since it was his suggestion. He eats one of the french fries and sees his dad preparing to ask him a question. It’s not one that he expects to hear. 

“Does this mean you’re going to ask Scott to give you the bite?”

Stiles hasn’t actually thought about it, but it makes sense the longer he mulls it over. He knows that it will be a serious challenge to have a werewolf child without being one himself. “I haven’t really thought about it. Sparks were historically turned into werewolves because they made packs strong, but I don’t have a pack anymore. I don’t even know if I would want Scott to be my alpha.”

John takes a bite of his steak. “Well, you don’t have to decide anything right away.”

“Yeah,” Stiles agrees, but it is something for him to think about. 

“What about names?”

“I have one in mind. It’s not Polish.”

“Stiles, that’s fine. Do you feel like telling us?”

Stiles shakes his head after a minute. “I need more time. I want to make sure it’s right before I say it out loud. Is that okay?”

“Of course it’s okay. I asked because I’m curious, but it’s your decision,” John tells him. 

John fills the silence by telling them about a mistake that Parrish made on a requisition form. He describes in perfect detail the horrified look on the guy’s face when ten cases of bullets arrived instead of ten boxes. 

It’s not a perfect lunch, but it’s a good first step.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if Applebee's still has the quesadilla burger on their menu, but I recommend it if they do. I mean, I had it more than 5 years ago now, but it's got to be as yummy as it was back then. Right?


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get a little background into Danny's family history and Stiles makes something clear to his new friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I researched a little bit for this chapter, but I apologize if I got anything wrong or made an incorrect assumption. No offense was intended.

The sound of someone clearing their throat brings Stiles and Danny back to the land of the living. Stiles had been dreaming about teaching his son to drive in the Jeep and it ended when they were just about to go over the finer points of duct tape repair. Stiles blinks a couple of times and notices that there’s a petite woman staring at them with her arms crossed. He activates the glamor and elbows Danny in the ribs.

“Keep your hands to yourself, Stiles,” Danny complains.

“Please tell me you know who that woman is.”

Danny sits up and he wipes his eyes before he starts grinning. The woman returns the smile and Danny jumps out of the bed and runs to hug her. “Stiles, this is my mom. Mom, this is my friend, Stiles.”

“Oh.” Stiles feels like an idiot. He slides himself to the edge of the bed and stands up. He’s wearing a pair of his own pajama pants and socks, but they’re both shirtless. He can understand the surprised look on the woman’s face after catching her son and a strange boy in bed together. 

He approaches her and shakes her hand. “I’m Stiles Stilinski. It’s nice to met you, ma’am.”

“Oh, he’s so polite,” she comments. Her eyes drift down and her eyes go wide. “And he’s pregnant.”

Stiles looks down and he can see that the glamor is still active. He turns to Danny and waits for him to explain how his mother is able to see through his magic. 

“The baby is a werewolf,” Ms. Mahealani states as though it’s a simple fact that anyone can know just by looking at his currently invisible baby bump.

“Mom, you’re freaking him out. How about you give us a minute and we’ll get dressed and come upstairs to see you and dad?”

She looks at her son and turns and heads upstairs. “See you soon, boys,” she jokes. It’s not at all menacing and Stiles feels some relief at the fact that she’s not trying to scare him to death. 

Danny points to the bed and they both take a seat. “So, the simple answer is that my mom has this overdeveloped sixth sense. She knows things that she shouldn’t be able to know, but it doesn’t always work when she wants it to. Have you ever heard of the myth of Nanaue?”

Stiles thinks it sounds a little familiar, but his thoughts drift to the Celtic myth of Nimue, The Lady of the Lake, and then his Adderall-free mind starts thinking about all the lakes in the area. “Maybe? I’m not sure.”

“The Nanaue is a Hawaiian myth about a boy that is born with a deformity. I’ll spare you all the unnecessary details and just tell you that he turns out to be able to shape shift into a shark. They have a bunch of other abilities, but that’s the primary thing that’s been passed down every time the story is retold. My grandfather was one of these people that could shift into a shark. He married a human woman and they had my mom and she inherited some of his abilities, but she can’t shift.”

Stiles looks at him. “Can you turn into a shark? Have you been holding out on me?”

Danny frowns at him. “Of course not. The only reason I didn’t tell you about my mom is that she’s kind of touchy about me talking about it. Jackson started making fun of her when I told him and she made me promise not to tell anyone.”

Stiles gets it. “Okay, but she saw through my glamor, Danny. Not even Lydia was able to do that, so your mom has got to be pretty powerful. Let’s get dressed and go upstairs. I have tons of questions.”

They get dressed and join Danny’s parents in the kitchen. Stiles shakes hands with Danny’s father and they talk a little bit about the Mets before the blender gets turned on and their voices are drowned out. After a few minutes, Danny’s mother delivers a smoothie for each of them. Stiles is unable to look at Danny without smiling and the other boy isn’t faring any better. Even worse is the fact that the smoothie is red. 

“What’s so funny?” Mrs. Mahealani asks.

“We’re just wondering if you added any beets. Danny has already warned me that beets do not belong in a smoothie.”

She smacks her son gently on the back of the head. “I can’t believe you told him that story. He’s gonna think I hide vegetables in all of the food.”

Stiles brings the glass to his nose and he inhales deeply. He’s surprised by how distinctive everything smells and he can easily pick out the blueberries, raspberries, peaches, and carrots. Stiles takes a drink because it sounds good and he is pleasantly surprised that it’s the best smoothie he’s ever had. “The peaches really balance out the carrots.”

Danny takes a drink and he licks his lips afterword. “You were able to taste all that?”

“I smelled it, too. It’s a little weird.”

“My sense of smell was heightened when I was pregnant with Danny,” Mrs. Mahealani says. “Maybe it’s the same for you.”

Danny’s father looks around the table and it’s obvious that he’s very confused. Stiles allows the glamor to fall away and the man’s eyes look like they’re going to bulge out of his head. “Is that why you insisted we come back early?”

The matriarch of the family smiles proudly. “I believe so. Stiles, would you mind telling us how this happened? Feel free to leave out anything you don’t want to discuss.”

Stiles doesn’t mind explaining it to them since they seem interested. He tells them about Isaac and his spark and how one thing led to another, but he leaves out the details about the nogitsune. “It’s a happy accident,” he says, once they know everything that he’s willing to discuss. 

“Yes, I would have to agree. Iekika and I went through a similar situation when we she got pregnant with Danny. We had already been to three infertility specialists and they all told us that she wouldn’t be able to conceive,” Mr. Mahealani says.

“He’s our miracle baby,” she agrees. “We should probably go to the grocery store. Stiles, is there anything specific that you’d like?”

“Oh, you don’t have to go to any trouble. I’ll eat whatever you’re having. I’ll probably be heading back to my house in a day or two once I get more comfortable being around my father. My old friends ambushed me a few days ago because they thought that I was possessed again. They were going to do a spell that I was worried might hurt the baby and things escalated.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. You’re welcome to stay here as long as you need.”

“Thank you. Danny’s got to go back to school tomorrow and I’ll probably make my way home then.”

Mrs. Mahealani looks at her son and then smiles at Stiles. She seems to understand that it’s a difficult situation and she’s cautious of making a statement that will make it any worse. “Well, you’re allowed to come back if you decide you need a little more time. You can even paint with me in my studio if you’d like.”

Danny raises an eyebrow. “Really? You never let me or any of my other friends into your studio.”

“I’m very selective about who I let into my sacred space. Stiles and I are kindred spirits. I can tell.”

* * *

It’s about the time for school to be getting out when they make their way back to Danny’s room. Stiles has been challenged to a video game smackdown and he fully intends on showing his friend his supreme video gaming skills, but something is nagging at him. They sit on a pair of beanbag chairs and Stiles watches Danny intently as he gets the game set up.

“Danny, can I ask you a question?”

“Sure.” His eyes are still focused on the television and he doesn’t notice that Stiles has been watching him.

“Promise not to get mad?”

That’s enough to make him turn and look into the honey-colored eyes that belong to his friend. “Okay. Why do I feel like you’re going to ask me something that I’m not gonna wanna talk about?”

Stiles’ only response is a half-hearted shrug of his shoulders. “I’m just wondering why your mom is under the impression that we’re dating.”

Danny is stunned by the question and his mouth is open, but he’s unable to make words. He scratches the back of his neck, a nervous habit that he’s had ever since they were in middle school, and tries to look everywhere except Stiles’ face. “She doesn’t think that. I mean, you’re pregnant and she knows we’re just friends.”

“Okay. It just seemed like she had the wrong idea. I mean, I’d be lucky to date a guy like you, but I’m not even remotely stable enough to start a relationship right now. Besides, I think you’d get bored with me eventually.”

“What? Why would you say that?”

He can’t associate it with any particular thought, but he still feels that way. “I guess it’s just a feeling. It doesn’t mean you’re a bad friend. I just don’t think we’re meant to be together or anything like that. There’s an amazing guy out there for you and he is going to love the hell out of you, Danny. You just have to wait a little while until you find him.”

Danny stares at him for a moment before saying the one thought that he can’t get out of his head. “Is this about Isaac? I know you said it was just a hookup, but I’m getting the feeling that it was more than that for you.”

“I don’t know. I thought I hated the guy at first, but he kind of grew on me. Then he got together with Allison and my feelings were all inappropriate and confusing and I just pretended they didn’t exist until that night in my bedroom. But the haven’t gone away now that he’s gone.”

“Wow. So you miss him?”

“Yeah, of course I do. I miss his sarcastic remarks and the way his smile always makes everyone feel better. He’s a kind person even after everything he’s been through, you know? And he uses this specific tone whenever he says my name. It’s difficult to describe.”

“Stiles, it kinda sounds like you’re in love with him.”

That’s his cue to roll his eyes and pretend that it’s the most ridiculous idea that he’s ever heard. The problem is that he knows that Danny is right and he has no idea what to do about it.

“At least I have a part of him with me. Our son is going to be amazing and he’s going to be unstoppable with the power of sarcasm that he’ll inherit from both of his fathers. I’m expecting to receive a lot of phone calls from disgruntled teachers.”

Danny laughs at him and he’s blushing when the teen gives him a hug. “You’re both going to be okay. Now prepare to get slaughtered. I’m in a _take no prisoners_ kind of mood.”

“Alright. Let’s see what you got, Mahealani.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The thing is, I think it makes sense that Danny would be attracted to Stiles and I wanted to highlight that. I also wanted to show that Danny isn't being nice to Stiles only because he's attractive and wants in his pants, but because he's a genuinely good person. They won't be in a relationship at this point, but that doesn't mean that friends can't flirt with each other a little bit. ;)


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unexpected visitor arrives on the steps of the Stilinski household. Is it friend or foe?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You have my sincere apologies for going so long without updating. I became distracted by other stories and things happening in my personal life, not to mention that I was trying to re-evaluate where I wanted to take this story after a few things that happened in this very chapter. I think you all will be pleasantly surprised.
> 
> I also upped the rating. You'll understand why by the time you reach the end of this chapter.

_**Two Days Later** _

Stiles finds that adjusting back to his routine at home is easier than he thought it would be. His dad is more patient with him now that he knows the full extent of what’s going on and he makes an effort to be sure that Stiles has a healthy breakfast each morning. It usually means he’s in the kitchen before or after his shift, but he does it happily. 

Scott and the rest of his friends have stopped trying to contact him and he doesn’t know whether to be happy or sad about the fact that they’re giving up so easily. He knows they all just need time and he’s usually too busy thinking about all the things he needs to start buying for the baby to fret over past issues with his former friends. “I’m going to have to get a job as soon as he’s born.”

The sheriff looks up from his newspaper and shakes his head. “No, you need to be here with him for a while. Deaton told me that werewolf babies don’t take to strangers that easily and it’s not like there are any nannies that specialize in taking care of supernatural kids. You just need to focus on your son and schoolwork. I’ll handle the rest.”

Stiles wants to accept his father’s charity, but something about it makes him feel like a failure. The whole point of keeping his son was that he could raise him and give him a good life, that he would be the one stepping up and accepting responsibility. He knows that education is important, but he also has to think about what’s going to be best for his child. “Dad, it’s not fair for me to ask you to do that. You’ve already raised a kid and my son isn’t your responsibility. I don’t want you to feel like you have to do this.”

“Kid, this is part of being a father and a grandfather. I want to help out so just let me have this. I know you have that savings account that you’ve been hoarding your birthday money in since you were a third grader, but I’d prefer for you to save that for an emergency.”

Stiles holds his hands up in surrender. “Fine, I will happily and graciously accept your help. But I’m going to get a job at some point because diapers are expensive and it’s not like I’m going to be lactating, so I’m gonna need formula to feed the little guy.”

John nods. “Yeah, kids are expensive. I don’t suppose you can use that spark of yours to whip up a couple of money trees in the back yard?”

He knows it’s a nonsensical idea, but he would have thought the same thing about using his spark to knock himself up during a one night stand. “I’ll see what I can do after the baby is born.” He’s about eighty percent kidding and twenty percent hopeful.

Stiles finishes the last piece of bacon with his breakfast and he collects their plates and deposits them in the sink. “What time are you gonna be off work? Danny is probably going to come over after school to hang out. I can cook or we can order something.”

“Just do whatever you think is best. You’ve been getting tired a lot earlier in the evenings and cooking wears you out.”

“Yeah, but the delicious food makes up for it. I’ll text you and let you know what Danny and I decide.”

His father stands and puts on his official jacket before he walks toward the door. “I’ve got my cell if you need me.”

Stiles waves goodbye and starts working on the dishes so that he can sit down and watch one of the morning talk shows. He doesn’t have a favorite, so he flips the channel every time there’s a commercial. If nothing else, it gives him a variety of viewpoints. 

He’s much more interested in the storylines on Days of Our Lives and he’s not ashamed to admit it. Danny usually calls him a loser because of his fascination with the soap opera, but Stiles is pretty sure he likes hearing from him throughout the day now that he’s back to being alone at the lunch table. Stiles knows that it’s just a matter of time before a new guy catches his eye, not that Danny is easily distracted. Stiles plans to enjoy his friendship as much as he can until the guy starts disappearing like Scott used to do with Allison all those months ago.

He’s just managed to sit down and find a comfortable position when there’s a knock at the front door. Stiles stands, activates the glamor, and walks over to it. He opens it with a smile because he’s pretty sure it’s a UPS driver bringing him one of the things he ordered for the baby. His smile quickly subsides when he sees Isaac standing there.

The werewolf looks tense and he pushes his way inside before Stiles can say anything to him. Stiles walks to the couch and his eyes are on Isaac the entire time. “What?”

Stiles furrows his eyebrows in confusion. “Huh?”

Isaac chews on his bottom lip before joining Stiles on the couch. There’s an empty cushion between them and Stiles wonders if it’s symbolic of how Isaac feels about him. The beta’s eyes stay focused on Stiles even though it’s clear that he would rather be anywhere else. “Chris said you stopped by the house. He bought me a plane ticket to fly back and said you had something you needed to say to me.”

Stiles gazes into his blue eyes and is momentarily distracted by their beauty. “Of course he did. That guy is a jerk.”

“Just yell at me or whatever and get it over with. There’s a flight going back to Paris in the morning and I think I can get on standby, but I can’t spend forever waiting for you to say whatever it is that’s important enough for you to drag me back to town.”

He balled his hands into fists and contemplated throwing the guy out on his ass. He knew he could do it with his magic and he was more than tempted to let it happen. “I stand corrected. You’re both jerks!”

“Screw you, Stiles. I didn’t mean to take advantage of you like that. I was hurt over Allison and I just needed to feel something with someone I trust. I feel horrible that I forced myself on you while you were still reeling over everything that you’d been through on top of losing a friend. I’m a horrible person, okay? I get it.”

The werewolf shifts from making constant eye contact to avoiding Stiles like he refuses to acknowledge his presence. Stiles feels like he’s been slapped. He remembered Chris telling him that Isaac blamed himself, but there was a part of him that didn’t believe it. He thought that Isaac and Chris were just trying to spare his feelings, not that Isaac actually thought that he was the one that did something wrong. He let his fists open and kept his arms at his sides. 

“Dude, I feel bad for taking advantage of _you_. I mean, I know it was bad timing, but I’m not completely sorry it happened. I care about you, man. I just feel shitty for letting it happen when you were so upset over losing Allison. It’s my fault she’s dead and then I went and did that to you and it just makes my skin crawl to think that I caused you even more pain on top of everything else.”

Stiles feels a small amount of relief when Isaac looks at him again. The werewolf has his head tilted like he’s been listening to his heartbeat to confirm what he’s been saying. He opens his mouth to respond and then he closes it back up. That’s when Isaac raises an eyebrow. “Is someone else here?”

“No, my dad left for work a while ago. Why?”

Isaac turns and looks around the room before his eyes focus back on Stiles. “Do you have a dog or something? I swear I’m hearing a second heartbeat, but something is keeping me from figuring out where it’s coming from.”

That’s the moment it hits Stiles. He knows the glamor only works on the surface and that it can’t hide the baby’s heartbeat now that it’s getting stronger. The coin that Ms. Morrell gave him is in the pocket of his jeans and that’s enough to hide his scent, but Isaac has detected the one thing that he can’t always mask with magic. At most he can make it hard to isolate, but it’s still detectible. 

“Don’t be mad, okay? This is totally my fault and I didn’t mean for it to happen even though my magic is the reason it did. I promise I’ll explain everything, okay? Just promise me that you won’t freak out and run away.”

“I promise. Just tell me what’s going on.”

He reaches into his pocket and places the coin on the table. “Let’s start with my scent. Do I smell different to you? And before you get all offended or grossed out, I took a shower this morning and I put on deodorant.”

Isaac ignores the teasing and his nostrils flare when he picks up on a change from the scent that he remembers. “Something’s different. Are you sick? That would explain why you’re home from school.”

“I’m not sick. I’m pregnant.”

Stiles lets that hang in the air for a long minute before he drops the glamor. Isaac backs away from him as soon as he sees his pregnant belly, but he doesn’t turn and run out of the room. It takes the werewolf a second to walk back to the couch and return to his seat. “You’re actually pregnant. How?”

“Remember when we were going at it in my room? Well, I started thinking about how you and Allison weren’t going to have any kids and I felt really bad about that. Somehow I got it in my head and I wished I could give you the very thing that I stole from you when I killed her. That was right around the time you started to…spew the goo.”

Isaac laughs at his euphemism before he realizes that the child in Stiles’ belly is his kid. “Wait. You mean it’s our kid? Yours and mine?”

“Yep. I tried to get Chris to give me your phone number so I could call you. He turned me down and sent me on my way. Isaac, I know this is a lot, but you don’t have to be involved if you don’t want to be. This is totally on me and I’m going to make sure he’s taken care of.”

“He? It’s a boy?”

Stiles finds himself smiling at the excitement in Isaac’s voice. “Yeah. He’s also a werwolf so he’s growing a little faster than a human baby. I’m just over the half-way mark.”

Isaac wipes his face with his hands and he attempts to keep his breathing even. He can’t stop taking in Stiles’ scent and it makes him heady like some kind of drug. “I’m sorry. I’m still trying to make sense out of the fact that I knocked you up. Is he healthy? Did you give him a name?”

Stiles is thankful that he’s concerned about the health of the baby and he tells himself to not get his hopes up. “Yeah, he’s a healthy little cub. Ms. Morrell has been giving me weekly checkups because she’s a registered midwife on top of being a psychologist. I’ve kind of been thinking about a specific name, but I should probably run it by you. I hope you aren’t offended by it.”

Isaac is put on edge at the suggestion that he might become offended. He knows Stiles’ real name and he is praying to every God in existence that his child won’t be riddled with a tongue twister as a name. “What have you come up with?”

“Well, I’ve been feeling like he should have your last name. I want him to know where he comes from, you know? I’ve been thinking about honoring Danny because he’s been a huge support to me ever since he found me having a meltdown in the boy’s bathroom at school. He’s the one that’s been taking me to my appointments at the clinic and he let me stay with him after the pack and I kind of got into it.”

“Okay. So you’re thinking _Danny Lahey_?” It wouldn’t have been Isaac’s first choice, but it rolled off the tongue and sounded like a strong name worthy of any beta. 

“No. Actually, I’ve been thinking about _Camden Daniel Lahey_. I was trying to think about the input you would be giving if you were here. I know you were close with your brother and it made sense to me that you might want to honor his memory. You always said good things about him.”

When Stiles looks back up at Isaac’s face, he sees tears in the beta’s eyes. Stiles holds his breath because he’s starting to worry that he’s pissed him off or hurt him by daring to use his brother’s name. He feels all of that slip away when Isaac smiles at him and he swears it’s like looking into the freaking sun.

“Thank you, Stiles. It means a lot that you…thank you.”

“It’s not a big deal. I really like the name.”

Isaac starts to reach his hand over to feel Stiles’ belly and he hesitates. Stiles wraps his fingers around Isaac’s wrist and brings it over to his stomach without any hesitation. It isn’t long before they’re both crying. 

“Stiles, I can feel him moving.”

“Believe me, so can I. He’s constantly rolling around and treating my bladder like it’s some kind of punching bag. I’m just glad he’s declawed while he’s inside of me.”

Isaac pulls his hand away after a minute and his thoughts drift back to what Stiles said about how he was previously staying with Danny. “What did you mean before when you said you got into it with the pack?”

“Oh, we don’t need to talk about that.”

Stiles blames himself for not being smart enough to put the coin back into his pocket. Isaac detects the changes in his scent and he’s been around the block enough times to recognize all of them. “Yeah, I’m not buying it. You smell hurt and angry and there’s even a little bit of fear mixed in there. Stiles, please tell me what happened. I want to know. I _need_ to know.”

He’s preparing to go off on a tangent about something else with the hope of distracting him long enough to forget about the entire thing, but the look on the guy’s face tells Stiles that he isn’t going to be distracted. He starts out at the beginning with how Danny found him crying in the boy’s bathroom. He connects it to the fact that he started sitting with Danny at lunch and the pack took that as odd behavior before mentioning that they’ve all been distant with him even before he found out he was pregnant.

He segues to his non-productive talk with Chris Argent and how Scott had called the pack meeting and made sure he planned on showing up. Then he tells him the pack’s suspicions, about the spell and mountain ash, what happened with his magic shield, the bullet that Chris fired, and the brief period of unconsciousness that followed. By the time he’s done, Isaac is growling and he’s bleeding all over himself and Stiles’ couch because of the puncture wounds in the palms of his hands.

Stiles stands, which takes him a lot longer than it used to, and he goes to the kitchen and grabs a couple of dish towels. He wraps them around Isaac’s hands to absorb the blood. He knows his dad is gonna be pissed about the couch, but he figures that the guy will excuse it away once he knows what set Isaac off. If worse comes to worse, he decides that it shouldn’t be too difficult to dye the entire thing red to match.

“The important thing is that Camden and I are safe and healthy. My dad has apologized profusely and he’s accepted the fact that he’s going to be a grandfather. In fact, I think he’s pretty excited about it because he’s offered to help out so that I can stay focused on school. I haven’t talked to Scott or anyone else in the pack, but the fact that Chris sent for you means that he’s at least trying to make amends, right?”

Isaac is still and quiet. He’s got that look on his face like he’s calculating the fastest way to commit multiple homicides and Stiles reaches over and grabs his hand. “It’s not all their fault. I was hiding something big from them and I was stupid to think hey wouldn’t notice. They were scared that I was going to hurt people. I’m not saying they shouldn’t have tried to talk to me, and they definitely should have asked Deaton about the spell, but they weren’t trying to hurt us.”

“That doesn’t mean that all is forgiven. I have this instinctual urge to track them all down and beat the living shit out of each and every one of them. Well, except for Melissa.”

Stiles nods. “I get it. I’ve been there myself, but I’d prefer that you stay here with me until you have your head back on straight. I missed you, you know.”

“You did?”

Stiles reminds himself that he needs to play it cool and not scare the guy away. “Maybe a little. Hey, can you wait here for a minute? I have to run out to my jeep and get something.”

Isaac nods even though it’s clear to Stiles that the werewolf isn’t sure that he should be going alone. Stiles grabs his keys from the hook by the door and he activates the glamor before he heads outside. He climbs into the passenger seat of the Jeep and opens up the glove box. He pulls out the stack of sonogram photos and he puts them in the correct order. Once they’re sorted, he locks the vehicle and goes back inside.

He presents the photos to Isaac and the werewolf’s eyes are practically glued to the images. Stiles sits closer so that he can point out exactly what’s in the photos in case Isaac doesn’t know what he’s looking for. They get to the most recent photos taken a few weeks earlier and there is a distinct outline of a baby and all of his junk. 

“Danny says that he’s going to be a looker since he has both of our genes. I hope he has your curly hair, but I’m going to put my foot down and declare that he can’t inherit the gene that makes him want to wear scarves year-round.”

Isaac laughs. “I’m not wearing a scarf right now, am I?”

“No, but I’m pretty sure there’s one in that rental car in the driveway. How much do you want to bet that I’ll find one within the first thirty seconds of opening the door?”

Isaac shakes his head because he refuses to fall for the bait. Also, Stiles would have won. “Can I have one of these?”

Stiles is actually surprised that Isaac would want one of the photos. “Really? You actually want one?”

Isaac blushes slightly. “I mean, I want them all, but I’m trying to not be selfish.”

Stiles feels a flash of happiness rush through him. “Yeah, you can have as many as you want, but I think we should save some for his baby book. I ordered one on Amazon with a little wolf cub on the cover. I know it’s sappy, but the hormones have made me sentimental.”

“I didn’t think I would ever have kids,” Isaac reveals. “I was always afraid that I’d turn out like my dad and make them miserable. I would never hurt them, but I was scared that I wouldn’t be as warm and compassionate, I guess. But now that I know one exists, I feel like I want it more than anything in the world.”

Stiles gets it. He had the exact same reaction. “I understand. I was scared and freaked out at first, but I knew I wanted him when I saw him on the sonogram for the first time. Also, please stop thinking that you’re going to turn into your dad. You’re a good guy and you’re going to be an amazing father. In fact, everything you went through will probably make you an even better dad.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“I’m always right, Isaac. Haven’t you learned that by now?” Isaac actually laughs and Stiles is annoyed that he finds it more endearing than offensive. “I’ve also been thinking about whether or not I want to ask Scott for the bite. Assuming we ever speak to each other again, of course.”

“I thought you were set against it.”

He was at first, but not for the reasons that everyone seems to think. “I’ve just always been content to stay human.”

“Okay. So what changed?” Isaac asks.

“My son—”

“Our son,” Isaac interrupts. He’s smiling to show Stiles that he shouldn’t take offense to the correction.

“ _Our_ son is going to be a werewolf. I want to be able to share that with him. I want to be able to run with you guys on the full moon. I know I can do that as a human, but it won’t be the same. Derek doesn’t talk much about his family, but I’ve heard him talk about running with his parents and his sisters and it sounded so perfect. Anyway, it’s just something that I’m thinking about.”

Isaac is quiet for a moment as he thinks about what Stiles would be like as a werewolf. He thinks he’d be pretty amazing. “You don’t have to do that. Our kid is going to adore you. There’s going to be loads of things you can teach him and he’s going to need someone to take him roller skating and mini golfing. Those are things that I was never very good at. We’re a team now, Stiles, and you don’t have to do this alone.”

“Are you sure this is what you want?” Stiles is afraid that Isaac is going to change his mind or come to his senses at some point and feel like Stiles had forced him into this decision. He was fully aware that Isaac was only committing to co-parent their son and that it was possible that they would never be more than friends. 

“What were you just thinking about? Your scent changed.”

“Just a random thought. It’s not important,” he lied. To Isaac’s credit, he saw right through it. 

“Please tell me. I honestly want to know and you’re carrying our son, so I’m kind of entitled to know if you’re worried or stressed about something.”

Stiles began fidgeting with his hands. “I was just thinking that you’re going to change your mind about being involved once the initial surprise wears off. And that led me to feel like I trapped you into this, like you’re stuck now because you want to do the right thing and that you’ll convince yourself that it’s something you want when the opposite is true. I was also thinking that you were agreeing to help with Camden and not to being in a relationship and now I’m kind of freaking out over the idea of seeing you happy with someone else and our son liking them better.”

Isaac reached over and took his hand. “It’s nice to see that you’re still an idiot. It’s actually refreshing hat you haven’t changed a bit. First of all, I want to be a father to our son and you’re not forcing me into this. It was an accident, but our son is going to have us in his life and he’s going to know how much we love him and we’ll care for him together like a team. He is the greatest gift and we’ll make sure he knows that.”

“I like that,” Stiles admitted. “The sappy stuff, I mean. Not the part where you called me an idiot.”

“I’ve been thinking a lot about Allison while I’ve been away because I’m still learning how to accept the fact that she’s gone, but I’ve also been thinking a lot about you. You don’t know how many times I’ve wanted to pick up the phone and call you just to hear your voice.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“Because I thought I took advantage of you. I was so sure you would hate me if I ever came back here. It didn’t even occur to me that you would blame yourself and think the exact same thing. I guess we make a pretty good pair.”

“Yeah,” Stiles realizes. “We kind of do.”

“I don’t want to be with anyone but you,” Isaac admits, and he interlocks their fingers to get the message across. “I’m gonna mess up and say stupid stuff sometimes, but I care about you and I feel more connected to you than to anyone else in the pack. I want to see where this goes and I hope you feel the same way.”

“You’re sure?”

“Very,” Isaac promises. “What about you?”

He didn’t even need to think about it. He knew how he felt about Isaac because everything he felt for Isaac had only intensified while the werewolf was away. 

“I like holding your hand. I like the way you say my name and the way you look at me when you think I’m not paying attention. I’ve kept my bedroom window open every night because I’ve been hoping you would come back, so I know that I want to be with you. There’s no question in my mind, man. I want you so bad.”

Isaac laughs at the way he sounds so needy, but it’s a familiar feeling that he knows all too well. “Then we should be together. Will you be my boyfriend?”

Stiles’ body is buzzing with excitement and he feels his bond to Isaac strengthening. “Yes. Will you be mine?” 

“Absolutely. I can kiss you now, right?”

“Hell yes.”

Isaac leans over and things get good once they get over their initial nerves. Stiles pushes Isaac down and he straddles Isaac’s skinny hips before kissing deeper with more hunger and want and need. Isaac unconsciously pushes his pelvis into him and they both moan when they realize how hard they are. 

“Let’s take this upstairs,” Stiles suggests. He rolls his body off of Isaac’s and stands up, offering a hand to his boyfriend. Isaac takes it and he kisses Stiles’ neck before leading him upstairs to the same bed that their son was conceived on. 

Isaac’s hands rubbed the spot where the baby was kicking and Stiles laughs out loud when he witnesses how happy the sight makes Isaac. He pulls the werewolf up so that he can start taking off his shirt and removing his pants. Isaac is way too impatient and he ends up ripping most of their clothes to shreds before he directs Stiles to the bed and drops down between his knees. 

Stiles moans loudly when Isaac’s mouth takes him in and sends shivers shooting through his body. “Fuck. Where did you learn how to do that?”

“No idea,” Isaac blurts out. “I’ve never done this before. Does it feel okay?”

“It feels amazing.” 

It isn’t long before he comes, both because of his hormones and because of his lack of sexual experience. Isaac swallows hungrily and then uses his tongue to chase the few drops that escaped from his mouth. Stiles’ hands wrap around Isaac’s waist. “That was amazing and you are so, so good at that, but I kinda need you to fuck me.”

The werewolf’s eyes flash. “Are you sure? It won’t hurt you or him?”

Stiles shakes his head. “It’s fine. You won’t hurt us,” he promises. 

Isaac grabs the bottle of lube since he already knows where it is. Stiles takes it from him and applies it to his hands before he grabs hold of Isaac and begins to get him adequately lubed up. “I love it when you touch me,” Isaac tells him. 

“Yeah? Should I touch you more often?”

“Whenever you want. My scent is all over you now and it’s driving me crazy, Stiles. I love the way you taste, the way you feel. You’re so amazing.”

Stiles chuckles and he takes one hand away and uses the lube leftover on his fingers to prepare himself. It happens quickly because his body is rearing to go. He places a quick kiss on Isaac’s collarbone before lowering himself back down on the bed and adjusting the angle that they’re at. “Fuck me, Isaac. Claim me.”

Stiles repeats Isaac’s name a few more times as the werewolf pushes himself inside and works himself into a rhythm. All the pleasure centers start going off inside of Stiles’ body and his hands wrap around Isaac’s biceps and hold on as his boyfriend goes hard and deep and then pulls out slowly in order to tease him. Isaac runs his hands over his boyfriend’s shoulders before he starts again.

“Mmm. You’re so good at all of this.”

“I want you to feel good,” Isaac whispers into his ear. He places a few kisses below it and licks a stripe down Stiles’ neck as his instincts take over. His fangs descend and he bites into the flesh where Stiles’ neck and shoulder meet. 

Stiles cums all over them because of the mixture of pleasure and pain that sends him into a state of ecstasy. Isaac’s fangs recede once he lets go and he begins to realize what he’s done. His tongue is coated with the metallic state of Stiles’ blood and his wolf feels sated from making its claim. Stiles is aware of what’s happened and he holds onto Isaac and soothes him by telling him that he’s okay and that he wanted it. “Can—can I do it to you?”

Isaac nods and he leans in so that Stiles doesn’t have to strain his torso to get access. His human teeth tear into Isaac’s shoulder and the mating bite is set once Isaac’s blood enters his mouth. They both notice that the wound doesn’t start to heal right away and Stiles takes advantage by creating a hickey next to it. “You’re mine,” Stiles tells him. “And I’m yours.”

“Mine,” Isaac repeats, and his thrusts increase in speed until he’s filling Stiles with his seed and collapsing on top of him, their scents now indiscernible from one another. 

“I love you, Isaac,” Stiles admits. He’s a little worried about how the werewolf is going to take it, but he only sees affection looking down at him. Their eyes meet. 

“I love you too, Stiles.”

Once they recover from the afterglow, Stiles turns his head so that he’s looking at the exposed portion of Isaac’s neck and the mating bite and hickey that are still visible. “Isaac, do you know what this bite means?”

Isaac nods, but he’s sleepy. “It means we’re family now.”

“Yeah,” Stiles replies, reaching for the blanket so that he can cover them up. “Yeah, that’s exactly what it means.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm squeeing right now, I'm so happy. Thank for reading!


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny discovers that Isaac is back and a brief showdown occurs with Scott, Derek, and Lydia when Danny, Stiles, and Isaac go grocery shopping.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if the chapter description doesn't sound all that exciting. I've been up almost 20 hours and I'm not firing on all cylinders. The chapter was pre-written and I just did a re-through and edit, but it is un-beta'd and all mistakes are my own.

Stiles rushes to get dressed and he’s not really paying attention when he puts on Isaac’s shirt and boxers instead of his own. He activates his glamor and descends the stairs. Danny is waiting on the other side of the door and he seems to know exactly what Stiles has been up to before he can even greet him. 

“Who’s shirt is that?” Danny asks as soon as Stiles lets him inside. 

“How do you know it’s not mine?”

Danny responds as delicately as he can. “You dress like a pre-teen slob with no care for how others will judge you based on your appearance. The guy that wears that shirt actually knows what they’re doing. They dress to impress, Stiles. Should I go? Am I interrupting?”

Stiles shakes his head. “No, you don’t have to leave. I just got a little distracted and we kind of fell asleep after we…you know.”

Danny keeps his judgement to himself, but his eyes have a mind of their own and they lower to the baby bump that is hidden by Stiles’ magic. “You don’t owe me an explanation, Stiles. I guess I’m just surprised that you found someone that could make you forget about…Isaac.” And Danny is now looking at a shirtless Isaac descending the stairs while Stiles blushes from his spot a few feet away. Relief seems to wash over Danny and the werewolf in the room can scent it. 

“Oh, thank god,” Danny begins. “I was worried you hooked up with some random guy. Hey, Isaac. It’s nice to see you.” He looks to Stiles. “Does he know about the thing?”

Stiles lowers the glamor and he nods. “Yes, he knows, and I will punch you in the throat if you call my baby a _thing_. Why do you think I would hook up with some random guy? I’m not that adventurous and I certainly wouldn’t risk doing that kind of thing while I’m pregnant.”

Danny nods as soon as he realizes that his friend has made all valid points. “Right. Uh, my mom sent me over with some banana zucchini bread. She says it’ll be good for the baby and she asked me to tell you that she didn’t sneak in any beets when I wasn’t looking.”

“Good to know.”

Danny takes the Tupperware container out of his backpack and he hands it over to Stiles. Isaac is suddenly by his side smelling the food and he steals the piece out of Stiles’ hand before he can take a bite. “Hey! I’m eating for two here.”

“And I worked up one hell of an appetite getting you off,” Isaac ripostes. 

Danny laughs at them and how domestic they seem. “You guys are adorable. I see it now even though I completely missed the chemistry before. You do know he’s just tasting it first to make sure it’s safe for you and the baby, right?”

Realization hits Stiles like a sock full of rocks to the side of his face. “What? You are?”

Isaac shrugs nonchalantly. “I have an instinctual need to protect you guys. The bread’s pretty good.”

“Help yourself,” Danny insists. “I can head back home if you guys want to hang out by yourselves. I don’t mind.”

Stiles looks to Isaac and the werewolf shakes his head. Stiles fully intends to reward his boyfriend later. 

Isaac is quick to address Danny. “No, you should stay. Actually, I want to thank you for being a good friend to Stiles. I’m glad that he has you in his life.”

Danny is stunned into silence, but it passes after his brain resets. “Wow. Okay. I honestly thought you were gonna get all territorial and tell me to stay away,” Danny confesses. “I didn’t do anything special though. I just helped out someone that was going through a difficult time and needed some support.”

“No one from the pack offered to do that for me,” Stiles reminds him. “Seriously, Danny, thank you. Issac and I agreed on the baby’s name, by the way. Do you want to hear it?”

“Of course! I’ve been begging him to tell me the name but he wouldn’t do it. He said he needed to be sure, whatever that means.”

Stiles reaches out and grabs Isaac’s hand. They sit next to each other on the couch and Danny takes the third cushion. Stiles is leaning onto Isaac and his head is resting on the werewolf’s shoulder. It makes their mating bites even more noticeable to Danny and his eyes go big when he realizes what they are. “Wow. Those are mating bites, right? I read a little about them in some of the research that Stiles loaned me.”

“Yep. We’re together now.”

“What about Paris?” Danny asks, though he seems to regret it as soon as the words come out of his mouth. 

“Paris was a place to escape to, but I don’t need that anymore. It served its purpose and I’m not planning on going back. I want to be here for Stiles and our son.”

“Good answer,” Danny says. 

“The baby’s name is Camden Daniel Lahey. His middle name was inspired by you, ya know.”

Danny’s eyes are practically smiling and he looks on the verge of crying happy tears. “Seriously? Oh my god, that’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. Wow. That means so much, you guys. You have no idea.”

Isaac can sense Stiles’ emotions deepen when he sees the positive reaction coming from his friend. “Stiles said you’ve become really important to him. He wants to honor you and everything you’ve done for him.”

Danny thanks them again before he looks at Isaac. “He’s also named after your brother, right? I met him once in the sixth grade. He did some volunteer stuff in my class and he was so funny and charming. I had the biggest crush on him, but I way too young. Jackson teased me about it, of course.”

Isaac was happy to hear that someone else had good memories of his brother, but he was ready to change the subject to something more positive. “I actually visited Jackson a few times while I was in Paris. He’s doing pretty well, but I think he misses Beacon Hills more than he thought he would.”

“I talk to him every weekend,” Danny reveals. “It’s not the same, but it works for right now. I’m hoping to go visit him this summer.”

Stiles turns his head to the side and he hears something in the way Danny’s heart flutters every time Jackson’s name is mentioned. He’s careful to avoid bringing it up in front of Isaac, but he’s definitely going to be talking about it with Danny at a later date. He pauses for a moment when he realizes that he just listened to Danny’s heartbeat. _Like a werewolf._

It takes him a second to realize that there’s been a lot of odd little moments over the last few weeks and he’s curious if enhanced senses are part of being pregnant with a werewolf baby. He fully intends on talking to Ms. Morrell about it, but he decides not to bring it up until then in order to keep Isaac and Danny from growing concerned.

“Stiles, are you okay? You kind of zoned out on us.” _Oops. So much for not making them concerned_ , he tells himself. 

“I’m just glad you’re both here. Dad will be home in about an hour and we’ve got to decide what we’re having for dinner.”

“Pizza?” Danny suggests. 

Isaac is very much in favor of that plan. “You would think the French would make good pizza being so close to Italy and all, but they’re not very good at it. I would kill for a good pizza right now.”

Stiles elbows him in the ribs. “That’s just because I wore you out earlier with the sex and the biting, right?”

“Absolutely.”

Stiles grins with pride and he steals a kiss from his boyfriend. Danny is genuinely happy for them, but he doesn’t want to sit and watch them make out all night. “Well, I think we should skip the pizza chains and head to the grocery store and grab the ingredients to make our own. They’ll taste way better and they’ll be a lot healthier.”

“I second that thought,” Stiles shares freely. He stands up and looks at the post-sex hotness that his boyfriend is exuding despite his bedhead. “We’re gonna need to take a quick shower and I need to find my own clothes.”

“I like when you wear my clothes,” Isaac whispers into his ear. 

“Fine. I’ll wear your shirt even though it’s a little tight, but there’s no way that I’ll be able to get into your pants.”

“You can get into my pants anytime you want,” he promises his mate. “In fact, you have a standing invitation.”

Stiles giggles and pushes himself off the couch. “We’ll be back in a few, Danny.”

“No worries. I’ll text your dad and let him know the plan. I can even make a shopping list so take your time.”

Stiles looks back at him. “Since when do you text my dad?”

Danny doesn’t hold back. “Since you started staying at my house. I had to give him frequent updates or he promised to send in a SWAT team and arrest me for kidnapping you. He’s a little overprotective.”

“I’m gonna be the same way,” Stiles realizes. He refuses to apologize for it.

* * *

Stiles crosses off the last item on the list and he looks at all the necessary ingredients to making pizza. They have three different kinds of meat, a half-dozen vegetables to add as toppings, and enough garlic to repel an army of vampires should they emerge from all of the fiction books in the public library. “Your dad strongly hinted that we pick up something for dessert,” Danny says, reading the most recent incoming message on his phone.

“Maybe a pie?” Stiles asks rhetorically. “Dad likes anything with chocolate.” 

He barely sees the way Isaac goes stiff next to him, but he can sense it through the mating bond that’s tethering them together. Danny is the first to see what’s drawn Isaac’s attention and he and Issac both move to stand protectively in front of Stiles. 

Stiles eventually turns and he looks ahead in time to see Scott, Lydia, and Derek approaching them with their own shopping cart full of junk food. 

“Isaac! You’re back!” Scott says as soon as the true alpha notices him standing there. Derek’s nostrils widen and he inhales their scents and notices just how close Isaac and Stiles have become. “You should come over tonight, man. We’re having a pack night at Derek’s loft.”

Lydia looks guilty as she takes a long and thoughtful glance at Stiles. His glamor if active and he knows that she can still sense it. His spark vibrates just beneath his skin as it responds to the tension that he’s starting to feel and he prepares to use it to defend his mate and his best friend should things turn violent.

He calms down slightly when he remembers that they’re standing in the middle of the grocery store with regular people all around them. Scott is a lot of things, but he’s never been careless.

“Allison would be ashamed of you,” Isaac says, his words chosen carefully to inflict the maximum amount of admonishment. “She wouldn’t have turned her back on Stiles like the rest of you have. She wouldn’t have wanted this.”

“You didn’t know her like I did,” Scott says hastily, no thought given to the way his words would cut deep at Isaac. Then, as if he realizes he’s already stepped over the line, he leaps over and goes for the jugular. “She didn’t even love you.”

Stiles pushes his way forward around the shoulders of his protectors and he takes Isaac’s hand. “Of course she loved you, Isaac. The last thing she did was save your life. You weren’t her first love, but you were important to her and she loved and cared for you. Chris wouldn’t have stuck by your side like he did if it wasn’t real.”

Isaac looks into his eyes and nods. “Thanks.”

“Anytime. Let’s finish our shopping and get out of here.”

“Wait! I—I’m the alpha and you’re still part of my pack,” Scott says quickly. He’s now grasping at straws to gain Isaac’s attention and they all know it.

Isaac leans in and presses his nose into Stiles’ neck. The contact shifts the position of their shirts on their shoulders and reveals the mating bites in partial detail. Stiles flicks his boyfriend on the ear before he kisses his cheek. “My place is by Stiles’ side,” Isaac responds.

“God, you two reek of each other,” Scott says, oblivious to the deep meaning behind their mating bites. 

Stiles turns and he glares at Scott, now fed up with the way he seems to be trying to put them on edge. “Back off, Scott.”

Scott is about to say something when Derek rams into Scott with his shoulder and nearly knocks the true alpha over. He then moves to stand in front of the alpha despite the fact that it’s a violation of protocol. Derek smiles at Isaac and it’s both warm and genuine. “You look good, Isaac. Welcome home. I guess congratulations are in order between the baby and the mating bites. I just want you to know that I’m really happy for you guys and I’m here for both of you if you need anything.”

“Thanks, Derek,” Isaac says, and he just manages to hide the surprise he feels over Derek being so kind and accepting.  
Derek turns to Stiles next. “I’m sorry for being an idiot and jumping to conclusions. I should have done more to make sure you were okay and I regret a lot about my behavior the last few months. I hope you’ll be able to forgive me some day.”

Stiles is surprised by the olive branch. He refuses to hold a grudge and let the moment pass by. “Thanks, Derek. It means a lot that you said all that. It’ll take time, but I’d like that, too.”

Scott looks absolutely disgruntled over the turn of events and Lydia is finally able to accept her role in where things went wrong. “I’m sorry, too. I was grieving and scared and I let myself think the most horrible things about you. I didn’t stand up for you when I knew I should. I hope that you’ll be able to accept my apology and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to prove it to you.”

“We’ll work on it,” Stiles tells her, and she leaves Scott’s side long enough to hug him. It involves her flashing her _oh, please_ expression at Isaac when he tries to block her path, but he moves away when he senses that she’s being genuine. She wipes fresh tears out of her eyes on her way back over to her alpha. 

Scott looks at both Derek and Lydia before his attention goes back to Isaac and Stiles. There’s a darkness in his eyes that Stiles has never noticed before and he can’t help but wonder if he missed something that has always been there. “Whatever. Neither one of you are part of my pack,” the alpha decrees. He doesn’t seem to realize that they were already gone and that his words have no effect on them. 

Derek sighs, his disappointment clear, and he looks at Lydia and they seem to agree on something without saying a single word. “If Stiles and Isaac are out of the pack, I don’t see any reason for me to be involved. You were pretty critical about my mistakes as an alpha, Scott, but you seem oblivious to your own. What’s worse is that you don’t show any desire to be different, to be better. You’ve managed to alienate four people in the span of five minutes.”

“He’s right,” Lydia states. “I’ll continue to offer my assistance if you need help, but I’m no longer a part of your pack. Now, if you’ll excuse me, there’s a guy that I’ve been crushing on and I think I’m gonna go ask him out.”

“I want details later,” Danny tells her, and Lydia grins.

“Go get your guy, Lyds,” Stiles tells her, and she winks before she walks away.

Scott stares after. “But you were my ride!”

Derek finds it in himself to take pity on Scott. “I’ll drive you home, Scott. Kira’s probably already there waiting for you and the drive will give us time to talk about a few things. Unless you’d rather walk.”

Scott is quiet once he accepts the ride. Derek looks back at the three of them before they abandon their cart and head for the exit. Stiles hugs Isaac and he pulls Danny in to join them. “As entertaining as that was, I can’t stop thinking about food and how good our pizza is gonna taste. Let’s get some pie and head home so that we eat.”

“Scott seems so different. I didn’t know things were so bad,” Isaac confesses.

Stiles hates that he still has the immediate urge to defend the guy even after everything that’s changed in his life. “You know all about how grief changes people. I think maybe I was wrong when I said that he was corrupted by power. I think he’s just really lost right now.”

“He’ll be okay,” Danny is quick to point out. “You don’t owe him anything, Stiles.”

“I know. I’m just so used to always having his back that it feels weird to not be the first one to run off and try to fix things for him.”

“That’s exactly what he needs,” Isaac says. “He needs to figure out how to solve his own problems again. Maybe then he’ll start to see just how much you did for him.”

Stiles thinks on it for a moment but he’s immediately distracted by the smell of fresh donuts coming out of the oven in the bakery. Never mind that the baker is on the other side of the grocery store. “I want a donut. The baby wants one, too.”

“One donut. We are going to be eating dinner soon.”

“That’s fair.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it seems like Stiles has already forgiven some of the people that did him wrong, but this is just the first step in that process. 
> 
> I must apologize to the Scott stans. I know it looks like I'm beating up on him, but I think he should have been deeply affected by losing Allison. I don't think he would have gotten over it as easily as they showed on the show, so he's kind of lost right now and he needs to re-evaluate some things. He's not the focus of this story, but he does matter and there will be an arc for him. 
> 
> I also apologize to all French people. I've never had the pleasure of visiting the country so I don't know anything about French food. I kind of threw you guys under the bus because I wanted Isaac to be craving pizza and I needed them to go to the grocery store for the showdown. No actual offense is intended.
> 
> PS: Leave a comment and let me know if you enjoyed Danny's reaction to Isaac. The poor guy was concerned that Stiles was engaging in risky sexual behavior because he was hormonal and lonely. That would have been a hilarious conversation, but other things had to go down in this chapter.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another checkup with Ms. Morrell leads to an interesting discovery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry that it has taken me so long to update. I reached the end of the chapters that I had already written and I had trouble finding inspiration for what should happen next. I think I'm finally back on track, but I'm only going to update one chapter until I can get more written. I hope you like it.

“Where is he? He said he was going to be here. Do you think something’s wrong?” Stiles asks. 

He’s seated in the waiting area of the animal clinic and Danny is in the chair next to him. Ms. Morrell is getting everything ready for his next checkup in the veterinarian’s office. Deaton, the closest veterinarian for thirty-eight miles, is actually treating a canine patient and soothing his upset owner in one of the exam rooms. The woman’s sobs can be heard out where they are even with the door closed. Stiles has heard Deaton tell her more than once that her dog is going to be just fine once the broken bone heals, but she’s too distraught to listen. 

“You’re the one with the mating bond,” Danny points out. “Can’t you tell if something is wrong with Isaac?”

Stiles looks inward and he feels his connection to Isaac. It keeps growing stronger every day that Isaac is nearby and he can sense that his boyfriend is safe and happy. It’s almost enough to make him cry, but he just barely manages to stop the hormone-induced tears. “I think he’s okay.”

Danny reaches over and pats his knee. “He’s probably just running a few minutes late.”

Stiles nods his head. He spent so long hoping that Isaac would return that he never bothered to think about what would it would look like if he did. Stiles wants him close and he hopes that the werewolf will always return to him. “Thanks, Danny.”

“Any time.”

“How was school?” Stiles asks. “Did anything fun or exciting happen? Please tell me that Coach made Scott run extra laps because of his poor attitude.”

Danny grins. “No, that didn’t happen again. I did meet a cute new transfer student though. HIs name is Lucas and he’s from North Carolina, so he’s got this adorable accent even though it isn’t too noticeable. The guy is sex on two legs, but you know how these things can go.”

Stiles lets out a soft sigh. “I’d totally be your wingman if I was still at school. I think you should go for the direct approach and offer to be his guide to Beacon Hills. You can start by giving him a private tour of your bedroom.”

Danny laughs. “Maybe. Lydia offered to talk to Parrish about running a background check to make sure he’s not a bad guy.”

Stiles raises an eyebrow and he turns his entire body toward Danny. “Parrish is the guy that Lydia asked out? Did he say yes? Of course he did! There’s been something between them ever since they met. You should really take Lydia up on her offer though.”

Danny shakes his head. “The guy is seventeen years old. I can’t live my life expecting everyone I meet to be some supernatural creature or nefarious person. I don’t want to live my life like that.”

Stiles reaches over and he rubs Danny’s shoulder. “I get it, dude. You have good instincts so all you have to do is follow them.”

“I had a crush on Matt and I dated Ethan,” Danny reminds him.

Stiles pauses. “Okay, so your instincts could use a little work. Isaac and I have your back now. Everything will fall into place.” Ms. Morrell steps out of her brother’s office and she looks over at where they’re seated. 

They both stand up and Stiles turns his head toward the door. He can hear the sound of Isaac’s rental car turning onto the street a few blocks away. He feels better knowing that his mate is close. It seems the perfect opportunity to bring up the newest quirk of his pregnancy. 

“What does it mean if I have enhanced senses? I’m not talking about a pregnant woman’s sensitive nose here. I’m talking about smelling the ingredients of the smoothie that Danny’s mom made me. I just heard Isaac’s rental car turn onto the street, but the turn is at least two blocks away. Is my unborn son turning me into a werewolf?”

“That’s an interesting theory,” Ms. Morrell begins, her eyes a little far away as she contemplates the suggestion. “Let’s move into Alan’s office. Isaac can join us as soon as he arrives.”

“He just parked,” Stiles tells them. They walk into the office and Stiles sits down on the exam table. Isaac joins them a few moments later and he closes the door. Stiles chooses that exact moment to lower the glamor and he feels the pull on his magic dissipate. His shirt is taught around the baby bump, but it’s not too tight to cause any discomfort. 

“You’re late,” Stiles tells him, but there isn’t any anger there. “Is everything okay?”

Isaac kisses him on the lips and then takes the seat next to Danny. “Everything is fine. I was having lunch with Chris and your dad and I lost track of the time.”

Stiles freezes. “My dad was at lunch with you guys? Why was he there?”

“Chris thinks that he made things more stressful between me and your dad and he wants us to be on good terms. I guess he decided that he was going to facilitate our bonding time until we prove that we’re not going to argue and stress you out. He’s trying to make amends and this is his way of fixing things.”

“Wow. He must really care about you to put himself out there like that,” Stiles says. He notices the way Isaac seems to brighten when it’s mentioned that he’s important to other people.

Ms. Morrell pulls an unopened scalpel out of a nearby drawer and picks up an alcohol wipe before turning to face the three of them. “Stiles, I’d like to test your theory. I want to make a small incision on your arm and see what happens. It will hurt, but I think this is something we should get to the bottom of.”

“What is she talking about?” Isaac asks. 

Stiles holds his arm out and nods to her. She gets started swabbing his skin and preparing the scalpel as Stiles focuses on Isaac. “I’ve been noticing something a little weird for the last month. My senses have been a lot stronger than they should be and I think that Camden may be turning me into a werewolf.”

“Camden is the name of the baby?” 

Stiles nods. “Yep. Camden Daniel Lahey. How does it sound?”

“I like it. It sounds distinguished,” she reveals. “Here we go.”

Stiles closes his eyes as the scalpel leaves a two inch cut in his skin. She makes sure to keep it from going too deep to avoid scarring. They all look down at it, Stiles included, and watch as the skin repairs itself. Isaac reaches down to wipe away the small trail of blood and the cut is gone. 

“That confirms it,” Ms. Morrell says. “As you know, your baby’s DNA is made up of genetic material from both of his fathers.”

“And the baby and I are physically connected,” Stiles affirms, following her train of thought. “Since the baby is a werewolf, the werewolf juice is being transferred between us by blood.”

Ms. Morrell nods. “I would suggest it has something to do with microchimerism, but there’s no way for us to test my theory. ”

“What’s that?” Isaac asks.

“It happens when immune cells get transferred through the placenta. In this case, the baby’s werewolf cells are getting transferred to Stiles. They’re becoming integrated into his body and manifesting these werewolf abilities since both Stiles and Camden share the same genetic material,” Danny tells them. 

Stiles smiles at his best friend’s intelligence while the other two people in the room are taken by surprise. “Where did you learn that?” Isaac inquires.

“AP Biology. I’m planning on going to college in Hawaii and studying pre-med,” Danny says. 

Stiles smiles. “I’m trying to get him to go into pediatrics for obvious reasons.”

Danny stares at his friend for a moment before he’s forced to shake his head. “I’m still pretty set on trauma medicine.”

“We have plenty of time to convince him otherwise,” Stiles tells Isaac. Isaac smiles at his mate and kisses him on the lips, slow and gently as if it’s a moment that he wants to cherish for as long as possible. 

“I would suggest avoiding wolfsbane for the time being,” Ms. Morrell tells them. “Even if it doesn’t harm you, it could still enter your bloodstream and harm the baby. Better safe than sorry. Now, let me get the ultrasound machine ready and we’ll take a look.”

Stiles can’t help but feel an immense sense of warmth over being looked after by Isaac and Danny. He feels lucky to have them, not to mention Deaton, Ms. Morrell, and his father. Stiles sits up after a moment and he turns to Isaac. “Wait. What did my dad have for lunch?”

“I’ve been sworn to secrecy, Stiles. Your dad will never talk to me again if I rat him out. Not that he ate anything bad.”

Stiles almost thinks it’s funny how Isaac is more afraid of his father than he is of him. “Is that really the way you want to play this? _I’m_ your mate.”

Isaac hesitates for a moment before responding. “He’s essentially my father-in-law, Stiles. He’s scarier than you are. He’s allowed to carry a gun.”

Stiles grins mischievously. “I’m sorry. Have we met? I once made a teacher cry just by asking her if she’d falsified her teaching credentials. I’m a powerful spark and I can withhold sex indefinitely.”

Isaac snorts at the insinuation. “You wouldn’t be able to hold out for more than two days.”

Stiles narrows his eyes. “Wanna bet?”

Something about the glint in his mate’s eyes causes Isaac to rethink everything. “He had a bacon cheeseburger and an iced tea.” He hangs his head slightly, but Stiles pulls him in rubs his face on Isaac’s neck.

“You’re such a good mate. You’re earning yourself all kinds of rewards for good behavior.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Shall we begin?” Ms. Morrell asks. She already has the gel in her hand and the machine is powered up and ready. Stiles lifts up the shirt he’s wearing and he shifts slightly once the gel is applied. She grabs the wand for the machine and starts applying pressure to his belly to locate the baby and get a good view. 

Isaac’s eyes are transfixed for the entire time that Camden is on the screen. “He’s happy,” Stiles realizes. 

“Of course I am.”

Stiles is quick to shake his head and explain in more detail. “No, I’m talking about Camden. I can sense him. He likes that we’re together.”

Isaac holds his mate’s hand. “He’s not the only one.”

“They’re still in the honeymoon stage,” Danny tells Ms. Morrell. “Wait until the screaming baby shows up and they can’t get any sleep. I bet you twenty bucks they won’t be gushing at each other like this for at least six months after the birth.”

Stiles reaches for Danny but the more agile human easily moves to avoid it. “Babe?”

Isaac reaches out and he punches Danny in the shoulder on Stiles’ behalf. Stiles rewards him with a kiss and by holding his hand. Danny rubs the sore spot, but they all know that Isaac could have done more severe damage if that had been his intent. 

“Based on Camden’s size, I’m going to go ahead and announce that you’re officially in your third trimester. With the baby’s growth rate, I’m going to recommend that we perform the cesarian procedure no later than eight weeks from now.”

Stiles senses reassurance coming from his mating bond to Isaac and he knows that he isn’t in it alone anymore. In fact, he hasn’t been since the beginning, but having Isaac is different than having Danny or his father around. “Okay. We can do this. Eight weeks is plenty of time to buy everything we need to buy, re-organize my room, and prepare to bring a new life into the world. No big deal at all.”

Danny laughs and he pulls Stiles into a hug before he hands him off to Isaac. “I’ve got to go meet up with my parents, but I look forward to hearing how you calm him down. See you guys later.”

Stiles listens as Danny goes outside and gets into his vehicle. He gets distracted when he hears the woman in the room with Deaton flirting shamelessly. Stiles makes sure his glamor is active and then he looks at Ms. Morrell. “The woman with the uncontrollable crying syndrome has now moved on to aggressively flirting with your brother. You might want to go in and rescue him or, you know, make yourself a witness so he can’t get sued.”

“I think I probably should help him with that. Come back next week at the same time and we’ll go over the plan. Drive safely.”

Stiles allows Isaac to lead him out to the car. His mate helps him inside and then he starts driving, but Stiles quickly notices that they’re not headed for his house. It actually looks like they’re headed for Derek’s loft. 

“Are we going to see Derek?”

Isaac nods his head. “There’s something I want to show you. Your dad wanted me to wait until the two of you could have a talk, but I can’t not show it to you. That’s all I’m saying until we get there.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So as of right now, Stiles has some werewolf DNA in him. That doesn't mean that it will be permanent. It could fade over time after the baby is delivered, it could be permanent, or it might come and go even with Camden in the womb. Let me know which option you would prefer for Stiles to experience.
> 
> Also, don't you just love that Stiles is still concerned about his father's diet. I expect it will get worse now that his son wants his dad to be around to get to know his grandson. :)


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Isaac surprises Stiles, a couple of decisions are made, and Derek shows some growth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me so long to update. I'm having a little bit of writer's block even though I have a couple of future chapters outlined. I hope you all enjoy it. 
> 
> For the record, this story is NOT abandoned. (C:

Stiles is curious and equally clueless about what it is that Isaac wants him to see. The drive is relatively short and they hold hands as they enter the building. Instead of walking up the stairs, Isaac leads Stiles to the left and they come to a door to one of the unused apartments. Isaac pulls out a key and he opens it up.

The scents of Derek, Isaac, Chris, and his father hit him as soon as the door is open. He can also smell the fresh coats of paint. Stiles follows his mate inside and Isaac stops them in the living room. “It’s not finished yet. Derek and I are going to do more work on it, but I think it’s going to be awesome once it’s finished.”

“Is this your place?”

“I inherited a lot of money after my dad died. I never did anything with it, but I’ve been talking to Derek a little since we ran into each other at the grocery store. He owns the building and he said he would give us a good deal.”

“Us?” Stiles asks. 

“You’re my mate, Stiles. Chris and your dad came over after lunch and we were doing some work and planning out the final things that need to be done before we can move in. If you want to. It has three bedrooms so we’ll have space for us and Camden. I thought we could turn the third room into into a guest bedroom so that your dad can stay over whenever he wants.”

“You would be okay with him staying over sometimes?”

Isaac laughs. “I do like your dad, Stiles. I want him to be involved in Camden’s life and the place is big enough that he could actually move in if he wanted to, not that I’m expecting him to want to sell his house anytime soon. I don’t want you to decide right now, but I would like you to think about it.”

Stiles is overwhelmed by his emotions and he can’t stop himself from crying. They’re happy tears, so he pulls his mate in close and licks his neck. “I want to be with you for the rest of my life. I want to be right next to you wherever you are. I don’t need to think about this at all, okay? Camden and I belong with you and we’re a family.”

“I want to take care of both of you,” Isaac admits. “I love you, Stiles.”

“I love you, too.”

They separate after a few minutes so that Isaac can give Stiles a tour of the rest of the space. The kitchen is much nicer than Derek’s, but it has about three-quarters floorspace and a fenced in patio instead of a balcony. “We’ve already started soundproofing the bedrooms. That way Derek won’t have to hear Camden crying, but I secretly think he’s kind of looking forward to having us close by.”

“I grew up with a big family,” a familiar voice says from behind them. They turn and see Derek standing in the doorway. He has a smile on his face and he’s holding a catalog full of paint colors. “I was going to drop this off and I heard you two talking. I don’t want to intrude.”

“Get in here,” Stiles orders. Derek complies. “I can’t believe you would actually do this for us. Thank you, Derek.”

Derek is quick to shrug his shoulders and downplay it, but they all know what a big step it is for Derek to open his building up to other people. “This place is beautiful. And there’s a pretty great guy as one of the neighbors from what I hear, so I think it’s going to be great for our little family.”

Derek reaches into his pocket and he pulls out a second set of keys. He hands them over to Stiles and then passes the catalog to Isaac. “You guys start talking about colors and all that stuff. We’ll meet over the next few days to finalize everything.”

“Thank you, Derek. Seriously,” Isaac tells him. Stiles knows he’s probably thanked Derek at least a half-dozen times. He has some work to do to catch up, but he doesn’t want to overwhelm the guy.

Derek nods once before he retreats. Stiles hopes that his proximity will give them plenty of opportunities to help Derek get used to praise and compliments, but he knows it won’t happen overnight. “Isaac, are you sure you can afford this?”

Isaac grins. “It turns out my parents made some pretty good investments when my brother and I were little. My dad inherited everything from my mother and he was pretty frugal, so I got all of her money plus everything he inherited after her death. We lived across from the Whittemores, so my parents were kind of well-off.”

“That explains the pretentious scarves.”

Isaac ignores the dig. “We’re set for the rest of our lives, Stiles. We can both go to college and study anything we want and still have enough money to survive. Our grandkids are going to be taken care of is what I’m saying.”

“I want to get married,” Stiles announces suddenly. He immediately blushes when he makes the connection to what they were just discussing. “Not for the money, obviously. I’ll happily sign a prenup if you want me to. I just mean that I want to be able to tell people that you’re my husband, that our son is actually our son. I want to get married and I think we should do it before Camden is born.”

“I love and trust you completely, Stiles. Everything I have, everything I am, belongs to you.”

“The same goes for me,” Stiles points out. “All I have is my mother’s old Jeep and a shitty comic book collection, but you also have a piece of my heart that belongs only to you. I’m never going to want to be with anyone other than you is what I’m saying.”

“That sounds good to me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, it's kind of sappy there toward the end. Just go with Stiles and his pregnancy hormones. LOL


	15. A/N - Temporary Hiatus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This story is temporarily on hold. Subscribe to get notifications when I'm back to uploading.

Hey everyone. I just wanted to leave a note here and make you all aware that this story is on temporary hiatus. I am definitely not finished with it and I have a lot of ideas in place for how this story is going to develop and eventually end. I just need to tweak a few things and get back to writing it, but I've been distracted by other story ideas that have taken control of my writing brain as of late. 

Make sure to subscribe so you'll be notified by email when I upload a new chapter. I'm hoping to have one up in a couple of weeks. See you all soon!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Constructive feedback/tips are always welcome.


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